Enamored 2: The Women of Flitwick Mountain
by Petrichorius
Summary: Lena is back in this sequel to 'Enamored: Lena in Neverland'. When going about her day-to-day activities the mysterious Peter Pan shows up to interrupt, yet again, with an adventure. What secret does she unveil in her escapade? Will she finally make a choice between Peter and Felix?
1. Chapter 1: His Return

The man swings his clenched fist my way; I dodge this hit by leaning back and use this chance to pull his arm to my right, allowing access to his stomach. I send my knee up with speed, making a connection with his abdomen. He grunts in pain and moves his body to his right, moving the arm I'm holding to my torso to lift me off the ground. His strength is greater than mine but I'm quicker than him and almost everyone else in this class. As soon as my feet are off the ground I heave my legs to my chest, kneeing him in the face. We both collapse to the ground and as I land I roll backwards in a crouch. My body is toned and defined from the training schedule I've been sticking with. And I've gained more stamina and strength in the past year than I ever have in my life. The muscles on my arms and abs are firm to the touch and have provided slight curves and lines on my body. I can jump further and higher, run faster and further and when it comes to combat, am able to hold my own. I take a hold of the man's large arm and bend it around his back as I kick his side to force him to roll over. Once he's on his front I pin his arm to his back, feeling his muscles lock up from the tension and pain within them and hearing the man grunt. He taps the ground a couple of times and the class members break out in applause.

"Okay, great! Now did everyone see Lena's technique? Always be moving and thinking of the next step." This voice would come from the defence class instructor, a polite man named John.

"Lena, share with us- how long have you been training for?" He walks to me as he says this, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"I've been doing rigorous training since I was mid sixteen." I say as I dust off my hands.

"See what determination gets you, everyone? Lena only started a year ago." He halts as he finishes this, "It must have been pretty full on training where did you go before this class?" As soon as I invite the images in I see the green vines and ferns, the thick trunks of the trees and the large expanse of sparkling ocean. And then I see the faces appear. I'm snapped out of my daydream when I notice the expectant look on John's face.

"Just… around." I answer with a smile, walking off to pack up my bag.

"Alright that's it for today everyone, remember to join us next week and we'll focus on self-defence in a group situation." John finishes as he too walks to pack up his bags. I hurry to his side to speak to him.

"So, I guess my free self-defence trial ends today, huh?" I give him a hopeful smile – maybe I can convince him to let me re-enrol for free.

"Yeah, it'll be upsetting to see you go. Are you sure you can't organise something with the billing people?" He asks as we walk out the door and down the flight of stairs to the front door of the gym.

"Nothing they can do, damn." I look down the street to see if my tram is there.

"Listen, I'll tell you what- you're the best of the class. I'm not making any promises, but maybe I can get you a job." He pulls out his phone and begins a text.

"Really? That would be great!" I notice my tram pulling up at the stop. "I have to go, but text me if anything opens up!" I call this over my shoulder with a wave as I run off.

From this seat in the crowded café I can see the busy traffic from beyond the glass. The people in suits walk past in a hurry, chatting on their mobile phones. A sudden kiss on the cheek takes me by surprise and a small gasp escapes my mouth. The giver of the kiss slides into the seat opposite me at the table. Jeremy smiles his dazzling smile, his brown messy hair flopping as he sits.

"Hey Lena, I ordered us some coffee." He says as he leans back on the chair, his tall lean body making him seem too big for the chair.

"Thanks." I reply with a curt smile, watching him look out the window. This is the fourth time I've been out with Jeremy, he says all the right things and acts like a perfect gentleman. Everything a regular eighteen year old girl would want in a boyfriend. So why doesn't my heart listen to my head when I think of how great a boyfriend he would be for me? He notices me staring at him, something he mistakes for infatuation. He smiles at me with a wink as he speaks,

"What were you thinking of watching at the movies?" I lean back in my chair like he did, considering my options. Last time I checked, the only movies out at the independent cinema we go to are either romance or romantic comedy. How terribly unhelpful to my cause… The first two times I spent hanging out with Jeremy I ensured some breathing space by only going so far as a quick hand squeeze here and there. However, the third time he invited me out he stole a kiss and I couldn't do anything but smile to him and give a promise that we'll hang out again on the weekend. So now here I am on an accidental fourth date with a nineteen year old who's occupation is working as a barista in a café similar to this and playing guitar in a band with his friends.

"How about we go to the big cinema this time? See something with some action and violence." I smile with sweetness to him as I say this. He responds with a laugh,

"You always have a way of surprising me." Just as he says this, his name is called by the server to collect our coffee. He slides off the seat to walk up to the waitress and when she notices his appearance she blushes. Why can't I feel that way when I see him? I speak as he sits and hands me my coffee,

"I really love the apartment, when does your uncle get back in town?" Jeremy has a rich uncle who needed a house-sitter while he was away on business in Tokyo- or somewhere.

"Next week, I think." He replies, drinking his coffee.

"Crap!" This realisation has me sitting forward. "I completely forgot it was so soon." Where am I going to live? I've been in and out of a few hospitality jobs to keep me going since I left the orphanage. I get some benefits from the government for being a parent-less job seeker but it's not like I can afford any luxuries.

"Well… you know- there's always… my place?" Jeremy raises an eyebrow as he offers but quickly changes his expression to one of concern. I guess I couldn't hide the worry on my face.

"It was just an offer. I mean- I know we don't know each other that much, but the couch is spare and my room-mate wouldn't mind." He finishes with a smile.

"Umm. I'll think about it, alright?" I force a smile, though I have to squeeze my knuckles under the table to hide my nervousness. "Come on, we should get to the movies, or I'll be walking home late."

I was happily immersed in the action movie when Jeremy grabbed my hand. He seemed to be enjoying himself but I couldn't stop stealing glances at our hands together. I need to tell him we're just friends, especially if I'm going to be living with him. After the movie he walks me home, we get to the small lobby when he follows me to the elevator.

"I think I'll be fine here." I say it with a joking laugh but he simply smiles and steps into the elevator next to me.

"I don't know where your trust in this city comes from but a girl who looks like you shouldn't be living alone." He shakes his head as he says it. "Now, if you lived with _me_, on the other hand."

"I can handle myself pretty well, thanks. You know John said there might be a job for me at the gym." I look to the light panel, wishing for my floor to light up already.

"That's cool. I always thought that class you took was kind of violent though, isn't it?" He looks to me as he says this and I stare back at him.

"Well, I guess I like danger." This seems to interest him because I notice that sly smile he does when he's going to make a move on me. Luckily I hear a familiar ding coming from the elevator panel.

"This is my stop!" I say it with enthusiasm when I dodge his oncoming arm and slip out the elevator. He leans forward and places his hands on the door slots to stop them from closing.

"Don't I get a good-night kiss?" He leans forward with the same sly smile. I find it hard to hold back the distaste on my face but I quickly conceal it by swooping in and kissing his cheek. He moves his mouth in the direction of mine but he doesn't notice that I've placed a firm palm on his chest. I give him a slight push back and with my free hand hit the door close button. He's busy trying to comprehend my swiftness that he doesn't realise the doors are closing until it's too late. I give him a wave as the doors close in his face and walk back to the apartment. As soon as I lock the doors behind me I turn on some music and begin to change into something to sleep in. It's when my shirt is off to reveal my bra that I notice a second figure in my floor-length mirror, sitting on my bed. I turn to face him with a look of shock.

"Don't stop on my account." He says as he stands. His face and voice is as familiar to me as mine. It's the same duo that's crept its way into my dreams for so many nights. It's Peter Pan.


	2. Chapter 2: A New Adventure

"I have to say, I'm very amused by that little elevator scene." Peter stands as he says this. Meanwhile, I remain speechless as I shrug my shirt back on. "Poor guy, it seems you reject all your suitors."

"Pan, what the hell-" I begin to question him when the bathroom door opens and out walks a girl I've never seen before. The two are dressed in modern everyday clothing and Pan looks much older than he used to. His hair is a little longer than I remember and he has stubble on his chin, giving him more of a rugged look. He looks about a year or two older than me. The girl has short blonde hair and her eyes are narrowed at me. She's shorter than I am and if it wasn't for her sneer, she might actually be pretty. Finally I find some words.

"Get out. Get the hell out." I say it with venom as I turn and head for the front door. I hear Pan follow behind me slowly.

"Lena, just let me explain. We need your help." He says.

"Whatever it is- I don't care. I've been much happier since I left you and that pack of misfits." As I say this I open the door and stand next to its frame with my arms crossed, "Get out" I finish.

"Laura, would you give me a moment with Lena?" Peter has turned to the blonde girl to request this. Laura gives me a look up and down and smirks before walking out. Peter begins to follow her only to stop and pull the door from my grasp to close it, shutting the apartment to Laura and leaving us two on the inside.

"I wonder how hard I have to throw you at the door before you poof right through it." I say this to him with a raised eyebrow, still keeping my distasteful look.

"Classic Lena, you're still all violence." He shakes his head and takes a seat at the small dining table. He then nods to the opposite chair.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the police." I remain standing as I ask.

"People have taken the Lost Boys hostage, including Felix, and I've lost my powers. That's why I need your help to get them back. The pack of misfits, I mean, I think my powers are gone for good." He says this simply with the wave of his hand. I slowly move to the seat, considering this.

"How am I any help?" I keep my arms folded as I sit.

"Lena, please, I've been checking in on you every few months. I know you're keeping up with your combat skills and you're one of the few people who know of my world I can trust." He folds his arms like I have done.

"You can trust me? That's surprising."

"I can trust you as a soldier, just not with my heart. You broke that already, I'm afraid." He smirks at this comment and I can't hold back my anger as I unfold my arms and sit forward.

"I broke _your_ heart? That's rich!"

"You kissed my closest friend and confidant while we were together." He says.

"We were together because you gave me no choice! And need I remind you- you used a _love_ potion on me. How am I supposed to trust you ever again?" Pan unfolds his arms and leans forward on the table as I have done. He continues,

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't. But that doesn't really matter, does it? You're bored here. You need excitement. Who can offer you that better than me?"

"Jeremy has satisfied me just fine." I narrow my eyes to him, tilting my head.

"Jeremy who? elevator boy? I doubt it, I saw you together- there's no fire. No passion." He leans closer to me as he continues, "Right _here_,on the other hand." I feel his hand close over mine and my heart leaps. So does my hand it seems as I remove my hand from his grasp quickly and firmly.

"What were you saying about broken hearts?" I mask the stupid fluttering in my heart by keeping my annoyed expression.

"It never was about love with us, we don't get that. We don't do that." He stands from his seat as he pauses, moving closer to me. "I want you and you want me. Why fight it?" At this he lifts me from the chair and pulls me to his chest. My heart skips a beat again. I wish it would stop doing that. He's breathing heavily, holding me to him. His eyes move down to my lips and before I can interrupt him, Laura does it for me. She clears her throat and Peter stops leaning his face to mine, though he doesn't remove his eyes or his hands from me. I look over to Laura who looks impatient, tapping her foot. I shove Pan away from me and take a step back from him.

"I'll help you. But not for you, for Felix and the Lost Boys." I turn to Laura, who speaks next,

"Not to interrupt your little love-fest but I thought you might be interested to know that I saw them on the street at the front of the building." As she speaks I notice that she's closed and locked the front door behind her.

"Who?" I look between them with curiosity when Laura speaks again, "'Lena' is it? I suggest you pack your things unless you want to wear whatever _that_ is for the rest of the week." I follow her judging eyes to my outfit. I've gone for a high waisted skirt with ankle boots and knee length socks, and a thin three quarter sleeve shirt with a jacket. This is my one nice 'going out' outfit but I suppose enjoying nice clothes isn't a trait of a Lost Girl. Or whoever this girl is. I'm about to say something snarky back but am interrupted.

"Lena we have to go, now." Pan has moved to my side and is hurriedly rushing me into the bedroom. I grab my backpack and stuff the contents of my drawer of the wardrobe into it. Luckily I don't have a lot. I then run to the bathroom and shove everything else into my backpack. I'm making sure the place is in order for Jeremy's uncle when I hear three loud pounds on the door. Laura opens my bedroom window and climbs onto the fire escape as she speaks,

"They must have seen me from the window and figured out what floor we're on."

Pan grabs my arm and begins to follow her but I pull my arm free from him once again.

"Lena, let's go!" He says this with annoyance though keeping his volume low.

"They're going to tear down the door! I don't own this place, and I can't afford to owe the guy that owns this place." I place my backpack on my bed and continue. "I'll meet you in the parking structure across the road, after I get rid of these guys."

"But-" Pan begins to protest but I cut him off,

"These guys don't know who I am and they don't know you're in this room-" Another lot of loud knocks come from the door. "Go!" I say in a low tone back to him.

"Coming!" I call. The two disappear through the window and I hurry to the door. I swing it open and observe the three people standing there. They all look annoyed and the one at the back seems to be peering in to see if there's anyone else here.

"Can I help you?" I raise an eyebrow to them.

"We're with the New York Police Department and we have reason to believe that someone is harbouring fugitives in this building, this floor specifically. May we have a look around?" The woman in the group says this.

"Don't police officers need a permit to enter someone's residence? Also where are your badges?" I question her.

"I don't have time for kids, where are your parents?" Asks one of the bulky men, who's still trying to get a look inside.

"They went to the grocery store, but I'm sure they'll be back any minute. I'll let them decide whether or not to let you in if that's alright." I smirk at them. At this the woman flips out her wallet to reveal her badge and I pause. They're actually real cops? The other man pushes past me and walks in the apartment.

"Hey!" I shout.

"We're in a rush; your parents won't mind a quick look." He moves through the kitchen to the bedroom and, after a moment, returns seeming satisfied.

"Planning on going somewhere?" He nods in the direction of the bedroom where my backpack is sitting.

"Not that it's any of your business but I just got in, I'm staying with my parents for the weekend. Is that all you wanted?" I step aside for him to walk back through the front door. The woman looks at me and nods to something the man whispers in her ear.

"We'll be in touch." She says with another nod. The three turn away and I shut the door. I hurry to grab my bag, leave the apartment key on the table and move out the window. After stealthily walking down the fire escape I notice Peter and Laura on the bottom level of the car park.

"Can you drive?" Laura asks me, keeping her impolite tone.

"Yes… do you have a car?" After I respond the two share a glance and a nod.

"We'll see." Laura nods and walks off towards a group of cars at the other end. Once she's out of hearing distance I turn to Pan.

"What's that girl's deal, anyway? Why doesn't she like me?" I ask as I hook my thumbs around my bag straps and watch her disappear around a corner.

"Laura doesn't like people in general; it's just how she is." He looks down to my body as he continues. "I, for one, like your clothes. Nice legs, by the way." I roll my eyes at him and respond,

"She just seems to have it out for me." He seems to think about this for a moment then nods,

"Well yes, she may have been listening when I called you out for kissing Felix."

"Why would she care about that?" I ask.

"Well, Laura is Felix's girlfriend. Don't you women have a thing about other girls kissing your partner?" This honestly surprises me.

"Laura and Felix are dating?" What does someone like Felix see in a snarky, angry blonde bimbo like her?

"It's been a year, Lena. He had to move on." He shakes his head, looking in the direction of Laura who's appeared around the corner again. I look to the girl and have to blink a few times. He chose to date her? But he _loved _me. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, a year is enough time to move on.

"The car is over here, come on." She calls. Peter and I jog over to her and she points to an old car with an already running engine.

"Uh… we're stealing this aren't we?" I question them as Peter moves into the passenger seat and Laura moves to the back seat. I slide into the driver seat and put on my seat belt. Pan answers me with his dark smile.

"Hell yeah."


	3. Chapter 3: The Highway

We begin to approach the highway when I break the silence in the car.

"Who are those people?" I ask.

Pan looks straight ahead as he answers me.

"I don't quite know."

"Well, why have they taken the Lost Boys captive?" I ask as Pan keeps his expression.

"I don't know that either." I furrow my eyebrows in frustration.

"Okay then- What _do_ you know?"

"Okay don't get all snappy with me, I'm having just as hard a time with this as you are." I begin to open my mouth to speak again when Laura chimes in.

"Peter and I woke up one day in the middle of a forest. At first we barely remembered who we were, let alone where we were- we realised we had lost most of our memories. That's when we found a note telling us that the Lost Boys were being held captive." Pan nods to her explanation.

"Did the note say what they want?" I ask. Pan answer me next,

"No. It was then that I figured we needed more help, so we came to you." I get onto the highway and respond.

"Wait, so what do you mean, you 'lost most of your memories?'" Peter continues,

"Before waking up, the last thing I remember clearly wasn't long after we lost you; I was setting the boys up to leave Neverland. There was something I was preparing for- I just don't remember."

"So you have no idea who these people are at all?" Peter answers me next,

"I assume they're probably human mortals who know about magic and want to exploit it."

"Uh-huh" I respond, "So, Laura, how do you play into all of this?" I look to the rear-view mirror as I direct this to her. She leans back against the back seat as she speaks,

"I remember arriving at Neverland and being told by the shadow that I had a purpose-" I cut her off at this,

"You were a lost girl?" I think I feel slightly offended at my replacement.

"I guess so. Though, after waking up I remembered my relationship with Felix. I knew I had to help Peter find you for his sake."

"So you remember being his girlfriend?" I query, moving my eyes back to the mirror to study her facial expression.

"As soon as I thought about him I remembered the love I have for him." At this she moves her left hand by my side so her fingers are in my field of view.

"I also remember him giving this to me." I study the odd polished wood accessory that's rested on her ring finger. And suddenly a pang hits my heart. She goes on to rub it in with,

"I don't know about you but that looks like an engagement ring to me." The wood is carved to mimic vines around her finger and silver is laced into it to hold a shining emerald stone. After moving my eyes quickly off the ring and back up to the mirror I see a wicked smirk on Laura's face. She thinks she's victorious, that she won Felix for good. I look back on the road and purse my lips again.

"Looks like it." I say after a moment, at this my pocket buzzes.

"Dammit." I mutter as I reach for my phone. Suddenly Pan's hand darts to my side and my phone is in his grasp,

"Don't text and drive, you could kill us." He says it with a sly smile and the screen lights up to reveal a message. "Ooh, it's from your lover-boy." Pan adds.

"Give it to me." I reach out for the phone but something on the road gives the car a slight knock and I need to use both hands to control the wheel.

"'Had fun tonight. Call me? Wink face." Pan states as he reads me Jeremy's message.

"Doesn't this boy know it's inappropriate to court a lady who doesn't respond to his advances?" Pan looks to me as he questions this sarcastically.

"Pan, cut it out." I say this with seriousness but Peter simply presses the call button and continues,

"Don't you worry Lena, I'll straighten this out." The phone begins to dial and I reach for it again with a shout.

"Pan, don't!" Pan hits my hand away and I hear Jeremy's voice,

"Hello?" He says.

"Good evening is this Jeremy as in 'Lena's Jeremy?'" Pan asks.

"Uh, I suppose it is. Who is this?" Jeremy's voice rings.

"This is her ex-" Pan is cut off when I quickly reach for the phone and grab it with success, moving the receiver to my ear. Jeremy must have heard the struggle as he sounds alarmed.

"Lena?" He asks.

"Yes, it's me. I'm sorry. Listen, I have to go out of town for a few days." I respond.

"Oh, is something wrong?"

"Just family issues." I lie. "I left your uncle's apartment like I found it. The door is locked and the spare keys are on the dining table.

"Uh, okay. Wait- family issues?" Jeremy's confusion is understandable; he knows that I'm an orphan.

"Yeah, I really can't explain right now. I'll try and call you tomorrow okay?" I glance to Pan who points to the highway exit we're supposed to take.

"Lena..." Jeremy begins. "If this is something I've done…" He trails off.

"No, this has nothing to do with you. Really, there's just something I have to deal with." The car is nearing the exit and I switch into the left lane.

"Alright. Well just so you know, I really care about you." Jeremy says. This makes me hesitate.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow." I say it quietly before hanging up and placing my phone in my pocket. We exit the highway and I feel Pan's eyes on my face. I turn to face him with an annoyed expression.

"What?" I ask.

"I didn't say anything." He raises his hands in a defensive manner.

"Well, don't. Give me the map so I can see where we're going." I read the map with Pan's directions to discover our destination is some small town in the middle of nowhere.

We spend the next three hours of the drive in silence. I look at the time on my phone to see that it's 2:00am. My eyes are getting sore and I could use a coffee so I pull off the road into a small service station. Once I park beside a petrol pump I turn to see that Peter and Laura have fallen asleep. I cut the engine and step out of the car, taking a look around. Upon inspection of the service station I notice that the entry door is locked and only the after-hours window has light. I move back into the car and tap Pan's arm.

"Wake up." I give him a push and he sits up, looking at me alertly.

"Got any money?" I hold my hand out as he leans back against the door and rubs his eyes.

"It's in the backpack with Laura." He says sleepily. I lean over the seat to see Laura curled up with a brown backpack on the floor in front of her. Leaning forward I grip the bag but my hand accidently brushes her leg. Suddenly she sits up and reaches out her hand to my neck. Her grip is strong and takes me by surprise but almost instantly I am able to twist her wrist to push her off of me. Laura shrieks in surprise.

"Woah, nice kitties!" Pan says as he moves his hands in between us.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I exclaim angrily.

"What am I doing? You scared me! What are you doing?" She scrambles to sit up while gripping her sore wrist. I think I've strained it. Meanwhile I hold my neck, shocked after the quick suppression of air.

"I'm getting the money to fill up the tank, you bitch." I narrow my eyes as I say this. I'm tired, in need of a shower and Laura's shrill voice is getting on my last nerve. I can't help my poor attitude.

"Screw you." Laura hisses at me.

"Alright, that's enough. We can't work as a team if you two are going to fight." Pan announces this as he picks up the backpack and removes some cash from it.

"Lena, will this be enough?" He asks. I tear my angry gaze from Laura to look at the amount he has.

"Yes." I take the notes from him and move out of the car, pocketing the money to fill the tank. I remove the nozzle from the petrol pump and hear the muffles of Pan talking to Laura inside the car. Only a few seconds pass before Pan steps out of the car to join me.

"Do you not like her because of Felix?" He asks. I notice how his eyes are studying my face.

"Stop looking at me like that." I say simply, feeling the click of the nozzle turning off.

"Like what?" Pan asks as he follows me to the after-hours window. The man behind the reinforced window tells me the price and I hand him over the money before speaking.

"Is there any way I can get into the store to get an iced coffee?"

"No, the doors won't unlock until morning." The man gives me my change as he speaks and I furrow my eyebrows.

"Right, so you just stay in here all that time?" I remain glaring at the man and his bored expression doesn't change.

"There's a truck stop about an hour down the road. They serve coffee." After saying this the man turns away to ignore me and face something else on his desk. I turn around to look at the car and sigh, Pan stands beside me silently.

"I'm too tired to keep doing this. Once we get to the truck stop I'll sleep and we'll continue in the morning." I begin to walk back to the car after I say this but Pan speeds to my side.

"Why can't you just have coffee? The caffeine will keep you awake, won't it?" He seems determined. My temper is already being tested so I have to pause and look at Pan to respond.

"I've had a very long exhausting day, there is only so much caffeine can do and it certainly won't allow me to manage the rest of the night let alone another hour in a small crappy car with you two." Pan seems to consider this for a moment before nodding,

"Alright fine." He says simply, walking back to the car. I slide in the driver's seat and start the engine to begin the journey to the truck stop. We spend the next hour in silence.


	4. Chapter 4: Welcome to Linmoor

I'm awoken by a ray of sunlight shining in my eyes. Sitting up, I blink my eyes open and have to rub them to gain a clear vision. I glance over to the passenger seat where I last saw Pan sleeping. After seeing he's not there I sit forward to look at the back seat. Laura is gone too. Did they leave? With a worried thought I lean over to see if my bag is still on the floor, my money is in there. My bag is still here, but Laura's is gone. I have to sit back and rub my eyes again to fully wake myself up. I grab my phone to check the time, it is 3pm? What happened to Pan wanting to get to the Lost Boys quickly? My eyes meet the rear-view mirror and I notice I have sight of the small truck stop café. Among the few truckies is a masculine brunette boy and a girl with short blonde hair sitting and eating. Laura and Pan seem to be deep in conversation about something. I move my hand to the door handle and pause when my long dormant survivalist voice rings in my head. Do I trust them? I glance back up at Pan who has a look of determination of his face before dragging my tired body to the backseat of the car. After a quick survey of the area I bring my backpack to my lap and speedily change into dark jeans, a maroon t-shirt and a jacket. I place my old outfit in the bag and remove the envelope of my savings. After a quick count I fold half of it up and place it in my sock to create an emergency stash. After a quick mirror check I slide out of the car and walk over to the café, moving to Pan and Laura's table after entering.

"Making plans without me?" As I ask this, both seem to jump- clearly they hadn't noticed me walking up. "What's wrong?" I add.

"Nothing. Have you had enough sleep?" Pan asks this while moving the chair beside him out from under the table. He pushes it in my direction in an offering. I raise an eyebrow as I move to the seat.

"Yes, but why didn't you wake me up earlier? We've lost a few hours from my sleeping in." As I say this Pan opens Laura's backpack and withdraws some money for me.

"I realised after last night that the most important thing on this trip is your well-being." After Pan says this an already annoyed-looking Laura sits forward and stares daggers at Pan.

"The most important thing on this trip is saving the Lost Boys." She says sternly. Pan doesn't take his eyes off me as he speaks.

"Yes, that too. You should eat something." He slides the money my way and I glance at Laura with a look of confusion. Why is he acting so odd? Laura seems to have the same question burning in her head and I can tell there's something she wants to say. Though I assume her loyalty to Pan is what's holding her back from it.

"Right… I'll go get a coffee to-go. I'll meet you two in the car." I stand after saying this and Laura grabs her bag angrily and storms out of the café, Pan continually glances back at me as he trails along behind her. After waiting for my coffee to be prepared and ordering a sausage roll I head back to the car. Upon approaching the car I hear the same muffled voices of Pan and Laura talking but because of Laura's volume I'm able to make out what she says.

"I've been doing everything you've asked but I feel there's something wrong with you, it's like your head isn't even in the right place. You seem so obsessed with Lena that you've lost sight of the main goal- to get Felix and the Lost Boys back." Pan's response to Laura is too quiet to understand and Laura continues,

"I understand that, but who gives a crap if she's a little sleep deprived? I still don't understand why we need her at all; she's just slowed us down by two days." I hurry up my pace and get into the driver's seat. Laura sits back and looks out the window silently and Pan continues to stare at me.

"We should hurry. It won't be too long before it gets dark." Pan says. I stare back at him then glance back to Laura.

"What's going on?" I ask them. Laura remains silent and Pan just blinks at me.

"Maybe you should get in the back seat." I say to Pan who looks at Laura then back at me.

"It'll be easier to direct you from here." He says finally. Laura remains silent and I find myself rolling my eyes.

"Whatever." I start the car and we continue on our journey.

We drive for hours and sunset comes and goes, eventually Pan turns the radio off and speaks.

"Okay, turn down here." By now we're in the middle of a heavily wooded area and I've had to avoid hitting the occasional animal darting across the road. I turn down the small dirt road as instructed and have to sit forward to watch where I'm driving.

"Slow down a bit." Pan orders. I do as I'm told and look to Pan who seems to be studying the forest line. "We can dump the car here." He adds. I look to where he points and drive the car into the forest opening. The car rocks as the wheels climb the large tree roots and I continue driving deeper into the forest until there's no more space for the car.

"Let's go." Peter says. I grab my backpack and join the others in stepping out of the car. I look through the windows and double check that we haven't left anything while Laura looks around the area. It's too dark to make out much and a small object flying towards me takes me by surprise. I catch it in my hands in time but I have to hold back a startled shriek.

"Sorry." I hear Pan say. I quickly realise what I'm holding and press the flashlight's button. A few seconds later two more streams of light appear from Peter and Laura's flashlights. Pan walks ahead silently and Laura and I fall in behind him, one to each side. We walk together silently in the darkness until we reach the asphalt road we turned off from.

"There's a town down here where we can rest for the night." Pan says.

"They have a hotel?" I ask.

"Something like that." He states. It's about ten more minutes of walking before I feel something strange. I survey my surroundings to see nothing but trees, road and the dark night sky with bright stars. Then suddenly I feel a shimmer pass my eyes and I notice a wooden sign stood near the road that reads, 'Welcome to Linmoor'. Did that just appear? How didn't I see that before?

"Is this where they are?" As I ask this I begin to see the lights of a town and hear its noises.

"Not exactly. Linmoor is a small town in the middle of a mountain range. The Lost Boys are being held captive at a stone complex at the top of the highest peak." As Pan explains this we get closer to the town and I begin to make out the shadows of the mountains surrounding it. They're huge.

"The Lost Boys are up there." Pan says this while pointing to one of the mountain peaks. When we walk into the town I notice something strange about its residents. Everyone seems to come in odd sizes, some too tall, some too short. A few people are wearing cloaks to hide their faces and when one man passes by me I could swear I notice a tail dragging on the ground behind him. The buildings all look old and rustic. And some people are speaking in languages I've never heard. In my inspection I notice I'm being stared at by a group of men who are standing around outside a bar. Though, instead of it being a sleazy look, they all seem to be studying my face for something. I'm broken out of my staring competition with them when Laura speaks.

"Does that woman have horns?" She asks with incredulity.

"Here's the Inn." Pan says, leading us into a fairly busy building with people moving around. We move into a corner by a table and Pan ushers us to sit down in a booth.

"I'll be back." He says. He turns to go but before he can I tug on his shirt.

"Pan, I don't see the point in wasting time, why can't we just start going up the mountain tonight? Catch the people by surprise?"

"You don't understand. Just stay here." Pan says, walking off to the concierge desk. The people around us are still chatting noisily though it's not loud enough for Laura or I to ignore the fact that we're alone with nothing to say. Suddenly something comes to mind.

"I heard you talking to Peter in the car. What did you mean when you said you've done everything he's told you to?" I ask her. She looks around with furrowed eyebrows for a bit before answering me,

"Listen, I'm not going to lie and say that I like you. I don't. I don't like the fact that you've been with Felix and I don't like the fact that Pan has slowed me down in getting to him by insisting that we get you."

"It's not as if he has many other people he can call on for help…" I tilt my head to her.

"That's just the thing though- he does have other people. There are plenty of people that owe Pan favours but he chose you."

"Maybe I'm the most useful of all his contacts."

"You're not." This comment leaves me pursing my lips. Peter seems to be taking a while so I try to get more answers.

"When you woke up in the forest… did you come to this town?" I ask.

"What?" She looks at me with confusion.

"You said you and Peter woke up in the forest when you lost your memories. That's when you found the note." As I say this Laura looks slightly confused before something clicks.

"Oh. Uh, yeah we did come here." She drums her fingers on the table, looking around the building, in search of Pan.

"I'd better go check how the room situation is going…" She begins to slide out of the booth but I grab her wrist and yank her back to the seat.

"Ow! What are you d-?" She's cut off when I grip a pressure point on her wrist and twist it slightly.

"One more twist and it breaks." I say calmly. She looks at me with wide eyes and sits still.

"What aren't you telling me?" I ask her.

"What do you mean?" She responds.

"Just before you acted like you've never seen these-" I pause as a woman with blue skin walks past us. "… people." So how didn't you notice them the first time?"

"God, paranoid much?" She says with annoyance. I respond only with a dark look and slowly tighten my grip on her.

"Ow!- okay, okay. When I woke up in the forest Peter was already awake. There was no note and I have no memory of being on Neverland or talking to the shadow, Pan just told me to say that."

"Why?" I ask.

"I don't know! He's obsessed with you and needed you to trust me. I guess he assumed you would still feel a connection to the Lost Boys and it would be easier to work with a stranger if I was a Lost Girl too."

"So if you're not a Lost Girl then who are you?"

"That's the part I don't remember. All I remember is that I love Felix and would go anywhere he goes. I didn't make this up." She nods to her engagement ring.

"Even if that means being a minion to Pan?"

"If Felix is loyal to Pan then I'm loyal to Pan." I release my grip on her and sit back. She rubs her sore wrist as I wonder aloud.

"That still doesn't make any sense, why is he so determined to get _me _here?" I look over to Laura who is peering to her side. I follow her gaze to see Pan and another man standing there, both looking at me.

"The resemblance is uncanny." The man says with a fondness in his voice.

"Come, she wants to see you now." Pan says, his expression unreadable. 


	5. Chapter 5: The Mountain

I look up at the two men, glancing between both of them.

"Who wants to see me?" I ask. I slide my hand into my jacket pocket, feeling around for the knife I placed there earlier. I can't hide my surprise when I'm left digging around an empty pocket.

"It's gone, I took it." Pan says, reading my expression.

"Peter… what's going on?" I raise an eyebrow and take a quick glance around the building, in this booth I'm trapped. Maybe I can make a run for it.

"It's time to go." He says simply, his expression still deadpan. I look to Laura who looks just as confused as me.

"Are the Lost Boys even in trouble?" I ask, staring at Pan. He just stares back at me before walking to the side of the booth. He holds out his hand for me,

"Don't make this hard, Lena." For the first time a flicker of emotion passes across his face, however I can't recognise it. I take another look around the area for an exit. Finding none, I cautiously edge along the seat towards Pan.

"Pan, where is Felix?" Laura says with annoyance. Suddenly Pan grips my arm and I attempt to shove him off of me. He's too strong and manages to pull me to my feet. The other man moves to my free side, grabbing my arm firmly.

"Get off!" I try to push them off of me again unsuccessfully. The other man places the back of his hand on my cheek gently.

"Don't you understand how long we've been searching for you?" He says it softy against my ear.

"Don't touch me." I hiss at him. I swivel my body to try and see Laura.

"Laura?" I look to her with raised eyebrows as if to say, 'are you going to help me?' She blinks at me wide-eyed then looks to Pan who gazes to her.

"Come, Laura." He says simply, waving her to his side. She looks back at me and moves her eyes to the ground before grabbing our backpacks and falling in line behind him. The two men walk me outside the bar and we head out of the city limits, towards the darkness. No one in the town seems too bothered at the sight of someone being dragged off to the mountains, in fact most people who notice immediately put their head down and avoid eye contact. Eventually we near the base of the mountain where I see two men stand in the distance. It appears there's some sort of stone stair structure on the side of the mountain leading upwards. The two men stand to attention when we approach and both move their eyes to me.

"Aetius, who is the blonde?" One of the men says, turning his attention to Laura.

"She's with Peter." He states.

"She can't go up there." The other man says, causing Pan to interrupt.

"The girl is with me, she comes too." He says blankly. The two men exchange a glance before one speaks again.

"She won't like it." He says this firmly, though the two step aside for us. The one called Aetius ushers me forward and Pan releases his tight grip on me. I look to Aetius' hand on my arm and consider making a run for it, but Pan seems to tell what I'm thinking.

"I think you'll be glad you came." He says, looking at me with a serious expression. I raise an eyebrow to him and Aetius moves his hand to the small of my back.

"Don't make me carry you up there." He says, looking at me with the same fond expression. I feel his hand on my back removed and turn around to see Pan gripping Aetius' wrist with an irritated look on his face. The two stare each other down in challenge.

"She's no longer your responsibility. You can go." Aetius says. Pan doesn't reply, instead he places his hand on my back and moves us towards the steps. I hit his hand away from me and look at him sternly.

"I'm not property." I direct this at Pan then move my stare to Aetius, making sure both get the message. With a quick glance at a still-confused looking Laura I march ahead for the steps.

Lanterns line the stone railing to light the path but beyond it's still too dark and foggy to see much. As we get higher, though, I'm able to get glimpses of the starry sky and the lights of Linmoor slowly fade into a small yellow blur. The flight of steps is so large it gives me a lot of time to think. It seems Pan has gone through a lot of trouble to get me here, and he seemed pretty genuine when he was trying to convince me to come up here. Also, what is with that Aetius guy? He said I reminded him of someone and that he's been searching for me. He acts like I'm some sort of relic. At this thought I glance at the people following me. Behind me is Aetius who's keeping his distance but also keeping his eyes trained on me. We make eye contact and I quickly glance over his shoulder to Pan and Laura who are talking as they walk. I turn back around and continue walking up the flight of steps. As we climb higher the air gets thinner and my breathing gets heavier. Laura is the first of us to look physically exhausted and Pan seems like he's not too far away in joining her. Judging Aetius' stamina I can tell he's done this climb several times before.

"We can take a rest here." Aetius announces as we approach a balcony section with marble seats. There is a stone stand with some bright blue flowers and some sparkling silver coloured material is draped around some standing pillars and across the seats. We all sit down and Pan brings out some bottles of water from the backpacks.

"Can I at least ask what this place is?" I direct this at Aetius, since he seems to be in a supervising role.

"Flitwick Mountain." He says plainly.

"Right… and who is it that lives up there?" I add, nodding to the mountain peak. From this distance (more than half way up the mountain, I'd assume) I can make out some sort of building with pillars near it.

"All in due time, you'll hear this better from someone else."

"So you're telling me that once we get up there I will finally get the answers I want?"

"Yes." As he says this he moves to his feet. "Sunrise isn't too far off." He looks to me again. "There will be a bed ready for you to rest." He holds his hand out offering me to lead the way. I get up and walk ahead and from behind me I hear Laura complaining.

"The rest of us would like a place to rest too, you know."

Eventually I take the last step off the staircase and am greeted with a marble archway framing a foggy courtyard. My body is exhausted and I feel my knees almost buckling with weakness. Aetius walks to my side and gestures once again for me to move forward.

"After you." He says with a smile. I look to him tiredly and walk towards the archway. It's when I step through it that I feel overcome with a surge of energy. My heart beats hard and fast and my palms get sweaty. I must have given up my posture because though my vision is fuzzy I hear Pan call my name. My knees ache with pain as they're met with a cold flat surface. I feel multiple hands on my sides and feel myself drifting into the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6: The Matriarch

I wake to the feeling of someone stroking my hair gently. My muscles ache like I've just been through days of strenuous exercise.

"Good morning Lena." A soft female voice rings. I slowly blink open my eyes and am met with brightness. As my eyes adjust to the sunlight the details of a woman's face become clear, she's look down at me with a pleasant smile.

"How are you feeling?" She asks me.

"Sore." I mumble.

"I know your body aches, but what about your heart? How do you feel on the inside?" She continues to stroke my hair as I close my eyes to the pleasant feeling of it. My insides feel airy and light and endorphins are running all through my body, making me feel the need to smile. Upon opening my eyes again I notice the woman is smiling with me. I take in her appearance while she does; she has lovely light blond hair that's in a half up, half down hairstyle. It seems tamed as it's done up but I imagine when it's out it reaches her elbows. Her eyes are a blue, much like mine, though it looks like they've faded with age from the bright colour I have to a slightly greyer colour. He skin appears soft and smooth without many imperfections, except for the slight age lines she's developed around her eyes, forehead and the sides of her mouth. If I had to guess she's in her mid-forties. I'm pulled out of my reverie when she tilts her head. She's studying me too. I begin to feel the peasant feeling inside dull down so I move to sit up.

"Oh, careful. You must be overwhelmed right now." The woman says. As soon as I'm sat up, I look to what I'm lying on. It appears to be a white chaise longue with piles of decorative, comfy pillows stacked on and around it. It's like something you would find in a princess' lounge room. Suddenly my old, dirty outfit feels both extremely filthy and immensely inadequate. I look over to the woman who's now stood up from her kneeling position. She's got a long, flowing dress that's reminds me of a Greek Goddess. Her arms, back and sternum area are exposed to show her fair perfect skin. And she's got gold ringlets on her arms an wrists as jewellery.

"Who are you?" I ask her.

"I am known as Matriarch Cassiopeia Flitwick." She nods her head to me in greeting.

"Matriarch?" I ask her.

"I am the leader of the Aerie of this domain." After she says this I'm left simply blinking at her. She tilts her head to me once again and I take a moment to observe where I am. It appears to be a room with marble floors and stone walls in the shape of a half circle. The chaise longue is placed in the middle of the room and there are some matching armchairs placed to its sides, facing the entryway. Beyond the lounge is a table made of white wood with matching chairs tucked under it. Along the outskirts of the room stand pillars which are decorated like the one on the balcony I saw last night. They are wrapped in vines with flowers. I take a quick look around for exits, just in case, and see that there are two doors on the curved parts of the wall leading to other rooms. I turn at a sudden gust of wind to see that the main entry way is made up of large arches along the flat wall, revealing a similarly decorated stone courtyard on a lower level outside. The archways have white lace curtains hanging from them which are blowing wildly in the wind. There are some figures in the courtyard but before I can get a good look at them I jump at the sound of a door opening. A young girl opens one of the back doors and stops in the doorway, looking at me cautiously. She's dressed in a similar style to Cassiopeia, with a light blue roman-style dress and strappy gladiator sandals. This girl has a very pretty face and bright orange hair. If I had to judge her age, I'd say she's about eleven or twelve. Her hair is out and wavy and it flows to her mid-back. Cassiopeia turns to face the girl and I notice two long scars in the shape of a 'V' on her back, reaching from the small of her back right up to her shoulders.

"Hello Rosaline, please come in." The woman says kindly to the girl. The red-head named Rosaline continues to gaze at me as she walks to the chaise longue. She places the beige-coloured fabric she's holding on the lounge and turns to Cassiopeia. She bows her head in respect and Cassiopeia places a gentle hand on the girl's cheek as a show of gratitude. The girl takes one last look at me before running off to the courtyard. Her flaming red hair bounces behind her and she disappears in a brilliant display through the white curtains.

"I hope you like beige." Cassiopeia says with a nod to the fabric. I look down at it to see a thin brown rope tucked within the fabric as a form of belt. I look down to my old outfit and look back up at the woman.

"Why am I here?" I ask.

"Well you had to come home sooner or later." She says with a wave of her hand. This causes me to raise an eyebrow.

"I think you have me confused with someone else. I'm not from here."

"Perhaps this would be easier if I start by telling you what this place is and who we are…." She begins to walk to the chaise longue.

"Please do." I nod to her and she gestures for me to join her on the lounge.

"Well, you better than anyone know that magic exists in this world and others." We both sit as she speaks and she crosses her legs, looking as elegant as a model.

"Yes…"

"Well where do you think that magic came from? I can tell you're smart enough to realise it can't have spawned from the meek _human_ race." This insult causes me to narrow my eyebrows very slightly.

"You say it like humans are aliens." I respond.

"To me, most are."

"So then if you're not human then what are you?"

"The females of my species are called Veela. Our doting and adoring male-borns are called Nyx. We are distantly related to sirens, nymphs and even more distantly mermaids. However, we are the most special."

"I see." But I still don't understand how I play into all of this.

"Veela as a species have evolved to be incredibly attractive to the male race. Our unearthly beauty, our tantalising scent and our lovely voices are all due to our genetics; to draw men in. And once we have them drawn we have a special ability to release a pheromone that intoxicates the men and helps us persuade them to do out bidding. It's really quite easy." God, she really loves her species, doesn't she?

"Kind of like those monster-fish that have the light bulb on their head to attract their prey?" At first can't help but grin at my comment, but Cassiopeia's facial expression instantly makes me regret it.

"You would do well not the compare a Veela to a disgusting Anglerfish. We are also known to have quite a temper." At this she moves to her feet, walking over to a fruit tray.

"I'm sorry." I say as I watch her walk away. I get another glimpse of the 'V' shaped scars on her back. "It seems you're still susceptible to physical damage though." I add with a nod to her back. She turns around with some grapes in her hand and comes back to join me in sitting on the lounge.

"Yes, I'm afraid the scars are a side-effect of the one downfall of our species." What I want to say is something along the lines of, 'Oh dear, your master race has a down-fall? What ever could it be? Not having perfect feet? Being hurt by nail-polish?' Instead I go with,

"What downfall is that?" She takes a side-ways glance at me before looking ahead at the figures in the courtyard.

"Veela have the power of transformation. Some call it a curse, others call it a blessing."

"A transformation? Like a werewolf?"

"Yes, like a werewolf. You see whenever a Veela is overcome with great emotion (such as anger, stress or sorrow) she gets angry. In her young years the emotion and consequent transformation is almost impossible to control. And though it is not our true form, it is said to be an embodiment of our fiery, bellicose spirit."

"What do you turn into?" I sit forward, immensely interested.

"It's called a harpy. Our eyes go as black as night, our skin a deathly grey and our nails turn into long, razor sharp talons. The scars are created because of the wings."

"Wings? You can fly?" I hope my eyes aren't as wide as my gaping mouth but from the amused look on Cassiopeia's face, I'd say it is false hope.

"We can fly, we can summon balls of fire from our palms and we can kill. And we do the latter quite a lot, actually, whether we like it or not." She loses her amused expression at this last comment and her gaze falls to the ground. I suddenly feel ashamed for seeming so excited. She notices this and goes on to explain,

"You see, when this beast takes over, young Veela have no control over their actions. All they know in that moment is the distressed emotion they're feeling. Because of it they act out, they try to kill and cause chaos. I've lost girls before because of it."

"Lost them as in… they died?" I ask hesitantly.

"As you can expect, we've made many natural enemies over the years. Most females despise us due to their jealousy of our looks and the power we have over their opposite gender. Humans have their technological weapons, witches have their magic… the list goes on. If a Veela kills an innocent when she's in her harpy form revenge is always sought. Even if it goes unnoticed by the public the Veela will usually feel so guilty it darkens her insides. Most run away to become a recluse and hide who they are, others cut up their face, deeming their charm ineffective."

"So this mountain is kind of like a hideaway for your kind?" I ask.

"A safe-haven is part of the reason we reside in the mountains, though making the girls suppress who they are isn't a part of my teachings. Instead they learn to embrace it, it's hard work but with maturity and self-discipline the harpy inside us can be controlled."

"I thought you said it was almost impossible?"

"For the young, inexperienced Veela, it is. But not completely." I lean back on the arm rest and think about this, with more questions in mind I open my mouth to speak but she silences me with the wave of her hand.

"That's enough questions for now. You may ask more after you've bathed and changed out of those dirty clothes." After she says this she places the beige dress on my lap and I look down at it.

"There is a bathroom in the hall through the left door." She adds. I want to ask her if the Lost Boys are here and why. I want to find out if Felix is here, and where Pan is. I also want to know what the hell this all has to do with me. But something about Cassiopeia has me wanting to please her and comply with her wishes. Maybe it's the fact that she can grow claws and wings and shoot fireballs at me. I stand with the material and nod to Cassiopeia before walking through the left door to the hallway. Most of the doors are closed except for one close to me on the left and one at the end on the right. I walk past the one on the left and peer in, only to see a few beautiful-looking girls who look younger than me doing each other's hair and giggling as they chat. I reach the other open door to see that it's a nice-looking bathroom, with mostly white tiles and marble and gold accents. I place the folded dress on the counter and look at my appearance in the large mirror that covers one of the walls. My eyes have dark smudges from my make-up under them and my hair is all dishevelled. Three sudden knocks on the door make me jump. I can't help but stare at the door anxiously and bite my lip.

"Someone's in here." I state plainly. A male voice on the other side responds,

"I know, its Aetius... can I come in?" This has me widening my eyes.

"Um… no? This is a bathroom, I am preparing to _bathe_." I say it dryly, as I run my fingers through my hair in an attempt to unknot it.

"The Matriarch sent me, I know you don't know much about Veela customs but guests are treated as well as those that stay here. I'm here to help you." This comment has me moving to the door and throwing it open with narrowed eyes.

"You're here to help me bathe?" I ask as I fold my arms, looking at guy that helped drag me here.

"Well usually when I do this I just hold the towel and help them wash their hair. Though, as a royal I don't often see to the guests, only the important ones." I blink at him, still with my arms folded.

"…You're not watching me bathe." I finally say, before moving my hand to the door. He stops it with his hand and looks to the sounds of giggling down the hall. The girls who were once in the bedroom seem to be laughing at Aetius, who lowers his voice as he continues to argue with me.

"You don't understand, this is our culture – it's a part of our religion. The Nyx are always there to help make life easier for the Veela. If you want me to brush your hair, I'll do it. If you want me to kill a boar for you, I'll do it. I've done both before." Something in his tone makes it seem like he's pleading with me.

"Well I'm not a Veela. And in my culture young men don't usually see young ladies naked after they've just met." After saying this I try to close the door again but he quickly ducks under my arm and comes in, helping me close the door.

"Hey!" I send my hand to him and slap the side of his head. "Get out!"

"Ow! You're very strong for such a little girl." He rubs his head where I hit him. I give him my best death stare and place my hands on my hips. What's it going to take to get him to leave?


	7. Chapter 7: William

"Seriously, the Matriarch asked me to do this and you probably don't realise, but it would be an insult to her if I didn't follow through." Aetius pleads once again. I roll my eyes and sigh.

"Please, I'll stay behind the partition the entire time. Just don't make me walk back out, those girls will tell Matriarch Flitwick." I run my hand through my messy hair and sigh once again.

"God. Fine!" I throw my hands up and walk to the counter.

"Thank you." Aetius picks up a stool that rests by a vanity and carries it over to the changing partition. After placing it down he opens some of the cupboards and retrieves several containers of soaps, shampoos, conditioners and other various hygiene products.

"Okay what scent were you thinking? We have lavender, rose, lilac…" As he speaks he sifts through some of the bath salts. After a few moments of my silence he turns to me to see my annoyed expression.

"Veela women are vain. They spend a lot of time on their appearance and will judge you if you skimp on bathing." He raises his eyebrows as he tries to reason with me.

"I don't give a crap what those girls think." I snap back at him.

"You care what the Matriarch thinks." He opens another cupboard as he says this and retrieves some towels.

"Just leave any out, I don't care." I shake my head, rubbing my temples in an attempt to quell my budding headache. He picks out some lotions, bath salts and hair products and sets them aside. He then turns the water on to the bathtub which is in the centre of the room.

"Take you clothes off, there is a clothing basket by the partition." He says as he scatters the bath salt in the tub.

"No." I reply.

"Bathe fully-clothed then for all I care." He shakes his head, moving the towels to hang by a heating rack near the tub. I lean against the counter with folded arms as I watch him prepare my bath.

"You said you're a royal? So you're related to the matriarch?" I ask.

"Her sister Anastasia kind of adopted me. I was born in another Aerie but it was overrun and most of us were killed. Anastasia took me in and raised me. Because Cassiopeia knew she could trust me she gave me a place in her court."

"Oh. I'm sorry about your… Aerie." I say it hesitantly and Aetius picks up on it.

"An Aerie is the word we use for our clan, it translates directly to 'the large nest of a bird of prey'." He finishes setting everything up for the tub and takes a step back to check if it's in order.

"Your kind like those tricky names, don't you?" I say simply, watching him.

"Yes, well since we're on the topic of our language I was going to let you know you can call me William. The name 'Aetius' was given to me by Anastasia so I could feel more in place among her other sons, Cassius and Flavius. But William was my birth name, so I'd prefer it." I nod to him in response and we seem to be caught in an awkward silence.

"Oh!" He says with realisation, before walking over to sit on the stool with his back to me. I step forward hesitantly with my eyes trained on him.

"Are the Lost Boys here?" I ask as I pull a towel off the rack and hold it in front of me as a safeguard.

"Yes they are. And I don't know exactly what that 'Peter' boy has told you to get you here, but the Lost Boys have been having a wonderful time with all these beautiful girls around." As he speaks I quickly slip out of my old clothes before climbing into the hot, cloudy water of the tub. His comment has me smirking to myself.

"I hope they haven't been too much of a nuisance with the Veela. They haven't been around girls - especially pretty ones – for a very, very long time."

"Well we don't get many visitors here either, so I think the girls were just as happy to have some new males around to fawn over them" I can hear the smile in William's voice as he says this and I join him in smiling, adding,

"I'm sure the whole time they've been here it must have been one big celebration." I tip my head back to soak and clean my hair in the water as we talk.

"Yes, it really has… though Veela generally strive for the entertaining, gratifying side of life. So you can't really differ between parties and their everyday life. They're always singing and dancing in the courtyard." I'm up to rubbing conditioner in my hair as I consider this.

"I don't suppose you can tell me what I'm doing here?" I ask him, to which he responds with a brief silence. Before saying,

"I've heard whispers between the matriarch and her advisor, though I really think that's something you should have explained by Cassiopeia herself." I sigh as I rinse out my hair.

"Alright, I guess that makes sense." I realise I was forcibly brought here but so far from my treatment and the things I'm hearing this place doesn't seem terrible.

"The Matriarch was telling me that the Veela have heaps of enemies. Is that why your home was destroyed? Because of jealous witches?" I look in his direction as I ask.

"Not exactly; my home was in a different realm, the modern world there was far less advanced than this one. The humans still lived in villages with a castle and kings and queens. Their methods of attack were also far more barbaric." He takes a moment before he continues while I grab a loofa and place some lotion on it to clean myself. "I assume Cassiopeia has told you about the transformation?" He adds.

"Yes she has… talons, wings and fire, right?" I reply.

"Yes, well my Aerie was located in the highlands of our kingdom, we overlooked the royal castle. At first we coexisted peacefully, it was a reciprocal relationship where over the generations we would give the royals a Veela for their prince or king to marry. And then go on to provide attractive hybrid children, half-Veela and half-human.-"

"- They weren't worried about the transformation?" I ask, interested.

"No, half-breeds possess neither the ability to charm nor the ability to transform. Anyway, eventually the humans became more and more affected by the Veela of the highlands. The young ones would make mistakes and end up accidentally burning whole forests down or killing innocents."

"Oh wow." I widen my eyes.

"Yeah, it was bad. The aftermath was always softened by the Veela matriarch of the time, though. You see, the main reason we even bothered to provide a Veela for them to marry wasn't so they thought we cared about their kingdom, it was so we had a hand in how it was run. The Veela that married the king was never really in a position of power. She was just a puppet for the matriarch to control and then in turn control the king's decisions and how the kingdom was run."

"So the matriarch made sure the king married a Veela who could charm him so she could always control his decisions? That's clever." I nod in approval, before pausing. "Though, it does seem a bit cruel." I add.

"The Matriarch would never do anything that harmed the kingdom, and what they did when they found out about the charm was way worse." I lean over to the towel rack as he speaks and grab a towel before stepping out of the tub.

"They killed your people?" I ask after wrapping myself in a towel.

"After finding out about the Veelas other ability and what the matriarch had been doing for years the people got fed up and enlisted the help of some witches who did a spell to dull the Veelas abilities. Our kind couldn't fight back when they came and slaughtered us. Only a few of us escaped, among them was a seven year old me." I stop drying my hair off to look in Williams's direction, who turns to face me after hearing the water from the bathtub being drained.

"I'm sorry about your family, William." I say it with an apologetic look and from William's expression I'm sure he can tell I mean it. He moves off the stool to his feet and starts to pack the soaps and hair products away.

"There's body lotion on the counter, I recommend you use some. I've never seen a lady with quite so many bruises before." After he says this I raise an eyebrow, walking forward to look at myself in the mirror. I secure the towel so it's wrapped around my body and move my arms to my sides. Wow, I've never noticed all these bruises.

"I do a self-defence course in the city…" I say with a smirk to him.

"I can tell, I wasn't joking when I said you had a forceful punch." He moves my clean outfit to a dressing table behind the partition and moves back to the counter to uncap the body lotion.

"Please that was nothing!" I say with a smile. He smiles back to me and I take a moment to observe his features. I see what Cassiopeia means when she speaks of the Veela and Nyx beauty. William has golden blonde hair and a clean-shaved face to reveal a set jawline. His eyes are a strange light brown colour which almost looks gold. I realize I'm gawking at him and quickly move my gaze to the counter, cursing myself inwardly.

"May I?" He asks. I look up to see that he's put some lotion on his hands. My eyes go wide and my mouth gapes.

"UM…" I say it with alarm which causes him to laugh.

"It's for your back so you don't have to strain yourself." He assures me.

"Yeah, okay I just don't think I want-" He cuts me off,

"Really Lena, I've done this hundreds of times before for the Veela. It's not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be. Also this stuff will help heal those bruises." He keeps his hands out in offering and I look at them hesitantly.

"Alright, I guess…" I say with a smirk. I turn around and carefully adjust the towel around me so that my back is exposed. I make an effort to secure everything else though. Usually I'm not this timid around people but in this compromising state my heart is racing. I peek at us in the mirror and watch William walk over to me. He places his hands on my bare back, as casually as he would his own, and begins to rub in the lotion. It feels pleasant on my skin but my stomach twists at the unpleasantness of my racing heart.

Abruptly, I hear voices and footsteps beyond the door. A female voice says something along the lines of,

"You can't go in there!" and then another recognisable male voice responds with,

"Watch me!" Suddenly the door swings open and I look to the two men walking in like a deer in headlights. Peter and Felix look stunned at the sight of me standing in a towel but even more surprised at the sight of another man with his hands on me.

"Pan… Felix!?" I gasp. It's more of a shocked statement than an actual question, but it doesn't matter because both men are no longer looking at me. Both have their eyes narrowed at William and Pan is the first to speak,

"Get your fucking hands off her."


	8. Chapter 8: The Court

Suddenly Pan steps forward, launches his arm back with a curled fist and punches William in the face.

"Pan!" I shout, stepping back against the counter and securing my towel. I feel someone's hand on my back and look to my side to see Felix looking at me with worry.

"Did he touch you?" He asks.

"You've got to be kidding me." I look at him with disbelief. I turn back to William to see him on the floor, holding his nose with a groan.

"Fuck!" He says as Pan stands over him.

"What did you do?!" Pan asks angrily.

"Nothing, for fuck sake! Nothing happened!" I shout again.

"Aetius?" Someone says from the doorway. All five of us turn to see a group of Veela peering in with wide eyes. Two Nyx push through the gathering and join us in the room while they assess the situation. One of the men walks to Aetius' side and help him to his feet, at this point the blood from his nose has dripped down past his jaw.

"Aetius, who hit you?" The same Nyx asks. William nods to Pan who is then grabbed by the second man. Pan pushes the Nyx off of him and Felix jumps in to action to grab the second Nyx.

"Stop it!" I shout again as the commotion picks up. The five men break out in a wrestle and I have to jump to the side to avoid a flailing limb. I feel delicate hands reach out for me and draw me closer; some of the Veela are holding me back to protect me. Suddenly a sharp whistle fills the room, causing all of us to fall silent. I turn to see the Matriarch standing in the doorway.

"Cassiopeia, I-" I begin, but I'm cut off with a wave of her hand.

"All of you stop hurting each other. Aetius and Lena, are you two hurt?" She looks to me first and I shake my head. Her eyes then fall on William who stands with dishevelled hair and a bleeding nose. The next thing I see makes me blink and wonder if I even saw it. Cassiopeia's eyes turn a jet black as her eyebrows furrow, before turning back to their blue colour.

"All of you to the throne room, permanent banishment for the next person who chooses to harm another. Lena, please dress." She says in a commanding tone, before turning and storming off down the hall. The group of Veela hurry along after her and I'm left in the room with the five men. The two Nyx walk to the doorway and turn to look at William, who turns to speak to me,

"Lena, your clothes are just behind-" He begins but is cut off by Pan.

"Stop speaking to her." He warns. William narrows his eyes and I notice his jaw tense as he turns to look at Pan. He then walks to the door, joining the others in walking down the hall. I watch him go before looking back at the two still here. Felix is looking at the ground and Pan is looking at me.

"Get out, I need to change." I say, walking to the partition.

"Why did he have his hands on you?" Pan asks. I stop and turn back to face him with narrowed eyes,

"_You _let _me _go, remember? You never came back for me. You also lied to me, I owe you absolutely nothing." The words come out with venom and I have to catch my breath. I never realised how much anger I had over that but it seems to be all coming to the surface. I push past my light-headedness to stare back at the men. They're both staring back at me wide-eyed, Felix' mouth gapes open.

"Lena…" Felix begins. I feel my heart heavily beating in my chest as I tilt my head to the look they're giving me.

"What?" It comes out just as harshly.

"Your eyes…" Felix says. I turn to face the mirror to see the same jet-black eyes Cassiopeia wore staring back at me. I have to blink a few times before they fade. What the hell?

"Get out." I say again, calmly this time. The two exchange a glance before Pan nods and they leave, closing the door behind them. I walk to the mirror and stare at myself in it. What's happening to me? I hear the sound of a room full of people all talking at once down the hall. I hurry to the beige-coloured dress behind the partition and begin to slide it on; I tighten the stylish rope belt around my waist and slide the golden bangles on my arms. Someone knocks on the door briefly and a female voice rings out,

"Lena, it's Emmeline, I'm Cassiopeia's daughter. Can I come in?" She asks.

"Yes." I reply, patting down the dress and turning to look at myself in the mirror. A pretty girl with blonde ringlets and a soft pink dress- in the same style as mine - walks into the bathroom with a smile. At a first glance she seems harmless enough but there's something in her stare that reminds me of the Matriarch. She seems to be summing me up, silently judging me. When she smiles it doesn't reach her eyes, she looks uncomfortable yet wicked at the same time.

"Well. Don't you look lovely? I was sent to help you prepare." She moves to the counter and moves some hair ties and bobby pins to her hands. I watch her in the mirror as she moves to my side and begins a braid on the side of my hair.

"You're Cassiopeia's daughter, did you say?" I ask, applying some eyeliner.

"Yes, my name is Emmeline. You and I are going to become very close over the next few weeks." She looks to me with the same smile as she says it.

"Oh no, I'm not going to be here that long. I'm just going to find out what the matriarch wants and then I'll be on my way back home." I apply mascara while she finishes the braid and begins another on the other side, pulling some of my hair up in the process. By the end of my make-over I'm sure I'll look like a long-lost sister to the Veela- just not as beautiful.

"Well, we'll see I suppose." She says with a smirk. I look at her in the mirror and open my mouth to question her but she cuts me off,

"How unfortunate for poor Aetius, hmm? Getting his lovely nose smacked in like that. Hopefully it won't cause permanent damage. I want him to be perfection for our wedding." She tilts her head with a smile as she works on my hair.

"Oh, you two are engaged?" I ask her, feigning interest. Though I do feel a bit guilty about what just happened.

"Not yet. But if all goes to plan I'll marry him as soon as my mother picks me to succeed her in her position."

"Are you not the oldest daughter? I thought it was a given that you would be the heir." I ask, actually interested this time.

"We Veela are a strong, proud race. We didn't come to be that way by taking chances on our leaders. Cassiopeia will pick whoever is worthy of the throne, it's not enough to be born into royalty, though it does help. Especially because we get first pick of the Nyx." She adds with a laugh.

"I have to admit, your kind confuses me. In my world we have a long history of men dominating over women, not the other way around. It just seems backwards to me." I shrug, finishing the last of my make-up.

"Dominating? Oh it's not like that at all. Nyx just aren't capable of the charm or the transformation, all they have is their dashing looks. That's why they can never occupy the throne; they just don't have any power."

"So they're just kept around as slaves?" I raise an eyebrow. She finishes my hair and looks back at me in the mirror.

"Nyx aren't forced to stay here and dote on us, they do that by choice. In fact, it's more beneficial to them if they reside here and make an impression. If a Nyx is picked by Veela royalty they will earn a higher position on the economic and social spectrum. Not that we care much for money in our world, however." She pauses and steps back to look at me.

"You look lovely. Now, come; we don't want to keep her waiting." Emmeline takes my arm and leads me out the bathroom and down the hallway. The end opens up to a large blue themed throne room. Chairs are laid out in rows facing the front, where a dark blue throne rests on a raised foundation with stairs leading up to it. A canopy hangs over it and the chair itself has a silver frame with sharp silver wings coming out its sides. In it, sits the Matriarch who stares ahead with a stern expression. Pan and Felix sit in some chairs in the first row and on the opposite side of the aisle sits William and the two other Nyx. There are various Veela and Nyx sitting in the seats behind chatting excitedly. I look up at Cassiopeia who flicks her eyes back up to me; even at this distance it seems she could make out the size of my pupils if she wanted to. I'm in the middle of coming up with eagle-vision theories when Cassiopeia speaks. Her volume isn't loud but her dominating presence means that everyone is hanging on to her every word.

"Lena, please approach." She sits back in her throne and tilts her head up so her chin is symmetrical with the floor. Every move she makes is graceful yet resilient. I nod to Emmeline and walk down the aisle, stopping at the steps.

"I want to hear your side of the story first." She begins. "Who hurt Aetius and how did it happen?" I look back at William who stares back at me as he clutches his bleeding nose. I then turn my head to the right to see Pan and Felix staring at me intently.

"First, I want answers." I say it sternly and look up at her. She tilts her head and narrows her eyes; this is the first display of aggravation she's ever shown towards me.

"What?" She asks. In her voice it feels like she's challenging me to repeat myself.

"In exchange for what I have to say, you need to answer some of my questions." I say it again sternly.

"Young lady, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss that. The current issue is that a royal member of my Aerie was attacked under my roof. Whoever did that is to be punished, so tell me- who hit Aetius?" She leans forward slightly and her voice becomes firmer as she says it. I feel the same anger I felt before rise in my chest and against my instinct, I feel the need to challenge her.

"I don't like that I was brought here by force and I couldn't care less about your fucking Aerie." As soon as the words leave my mouth I hear several gasps coming from some of the Veela in the audience. Cassiopeia keeps her expression but remains sat forward in her throne.

"I have been Matriarch here for eighty years. In all that time no one has ever challenged me while I've sat in this throne. I would advise you to choose your next words very carefully." She sits back in her throne again. I pause and feel my heart thumping in my chest. Why the hell am I so angry all of a sudden? I calm my emotions and eventually open my mouth to speak.

"I hit Aetius. He placed his hands on me and I panicked; Pan and Felix heard the scuffle and when they came in I punched Aetius in the face. Now go on, punish me." I narrow my eyes at her after I say it. She places her hand on her jaw and seems to be considering something.

"That's not what happened." I hear William call out behind me. After a few moments of silence Cassiopeia moves to her feet and I hear those in the audience mimic her.

"Court adjourned. I will deal with Lena accordingly and Peter Pan and his Lost Boys are free to leave Flitwick Mountain." She gathers the lower parts of her dress and begins to descend the steps of the throne.


	9. Chapter 9: The Ritual

"But, aunt-" William begins but is cut off by her again.

"I've made my decision, Aetius. Now go have your nose looked at." She walks down to me and Pan appears at my side.

"If it's alright with you Matriarch, some of my boys have requested to stay for your ball next week. A few of them were asked to be the dates of some of your girls." Cassiopeia doesn't remove her eyes from me as she responds,

"Your boys may stay in the guest wing but stay out of my way." She links her arm with mine and leads me to a door leading out of the throne room. A Nyx hurries to open the door for us and standing beyond the door in a small foyer room is Emmeline. She has her arms folded and is looking at me angrily.

"Why was he with you in the bathroom?" She walks to stand in front of me as she asks. I narrow my eyes at her. I don't like being threatened and right now I'm in no mood for her teenage drama.

"Now, now Emmeline- You and Aetius aren't engaged yet. He's free to assist any of the girls he'd like. Also, I asked him." She says it calmly and the affection she has for her daughter is heard in the way she speaks to her. Emmeline widens her eyes at Cassiopeia as if she's just slapped her.

"You what?! Mother, he's to be mine. I've discussed this with you." She throws her hands to her sides.

"You may have chosen him but he hasn't chosen you. Lena has done nothing wrong and you need to find your place before you speak to either of us again like that." She raises her eyebrows in warning.

"You don't even know if it's her or not, mother! She might just be another commoner, it's happened before!" I snap to attention at this and Cassiopeia gives Emmeline another look of warning. Emmeline stamps her foot and storms off out the double doors, which leads to a balcony. The matriarch rolls her eyes and leads me onwards through the halls. Once we're out of earshot from Emmeline she begins to speak to me.

"That girl would make a great Matriarch one day. Aside from what you just saw she has an impressive amount of intelligence and will." She shakes her head as she says it and eventually I'm lead to yet another balcony. I walk ahead to look at the view of the bright sun, it's almost sunset. I lean on the stone railing and turn back to look at the matriarch.

"Who am I to you?" I ask her, adding, "Why is this place messing with my emotions?" All of my anger from before has gone and I'm left with an empty feeling inside. She looks at me for a moment before look out at the sunset.

"Did you know that when a Veela is born she will go through at least twenty religious enlightenments in her life? They're kind of like christenings. Some occur in the holy springs, others involve rituals. The first, though, is simply stepping on holy ground. Some Veela who lose their way will give birth to a full-blooded Veela child but that child might never get an inkling of the power they can possess simply because they've never been present in an enlightenment ceremony. As a result, her beauty will fade and she will only have half the life-expectancy of a true Veela." She turns to look at me as she adds, "She'd might as well as be human." I straighten up as realisation dawns on me. The Matriarch's lip turns up in a corner and I can tell she already knows what I'm thinking.

"You think I'm like you." I say finally. She nods and continues speaking,

"Many years ago my sister left Flitwick Mountain to go on official business. We had been alerted that an Aerie in the desert had been decimated and my sister took it upon herself to see if there were any survivors. She was met with a lot of resistance from the elders not only because she was pregnant at the time but because she was also the matriarch of this domain."

"Was that Anastasia? Aetius' mother?" I ask.

"No, this was my older sister- Arabella. Anyway, she went to inspect the Aerie despite the advice of the elders. But not before leaving me in charge in her stead. After she reported back to us that it was a coven of witches that destroyed the place she went missing. We contacted the elders and the leaders of many other magical races to see if they could help us get our queen back but no one had seen her- and no one could help. We raided as many witch covens as we could track down in search of Arabella and it was only ten years ago when we found the one that captured her. They stated that we were cruel, that Veela were a disgrace. We were given too much power and they wanted to punish us."

"That's awful." I say with a sympathetic look.

"They informed us that Arabella had been murdered- but not before she gave birth to her child. They said that killing one of our kind wasn't enough, they wanted to deprive us of her heir. Now, keep in mind that when Arabella told us she was pregnant we were all shocked- even the elders, who seem to know everything. Only few people knew that Arabella had a lover, I was among them. The only thing she told me about the child's father was that he was the most powerful person she'd ever met. He wasn't Nyx but she assured me that the child would be born capable of using the charm and transforming. Whether that's true or not, I was never sure if I would find out." She leans on the railing, looking out at the sun which is slowly disappearing behind the mountains.

"So what happened to the child?" I lean beside her as I ask.

"The witches said that they implanted false memories in her head and sent her off to live a human life, completely unaware of who she was and the power she was capable of. That was all the information my mother could get off them before they did an enchantment that made their mouths disappear."

"What happened to them?" The sky begins to darken as the sun has disappeared and I notice Cassiopeia's eyes are shining.

"My mother lost it. She fell into a rage, went harpy and killed them all." The Matriarch walks over to some seats and sits down. I follow her over and join her in sitting.

"Wow." Is all I can say.

"Veela are fiercely protective of their children. I commend her on her restraint, actually. If I were in her position I would have ripped their heads off as soon as I found out they killed Arabella." She says. We sit in silence for a few more moments when I speak again.

"I'm sorry to ask again, but I just don't see where I fit into this." I say.

"We've been searching for that child for years. There have been dozens of girls brought here who fit the criteria but they've either turned out to be other lost Veela children or Veela who've heard that this child is the heir and are hoping to gain renown."

"And you brought me here because you think I might be the heir?" I ask.

"Not only do you look exactly like Arabella, those in the magic world know of the beautiful girl who defeated the evil Peter Pan. Your natural deceitfulness and charm are both qualities found in Veela, especially my sister. My instincts tell me you're your mother's daughter." She looks to me with seriousness as she says it. I blink back at her before leaning back in my seat.

"Did Pan tell you about my deceitfulness in Neverland?" I ask her.

"No. A siren who knew Arabella informed us that she had a brief meeting with a girl who looked like she could be her daughter. She tried to get a better look at you but she was scared away by Pan." I instantly think back to my encounter with the siren on that beach at Neverland.

"When I fainted at the top of the steps, you think that was the first christening?" I ask her.

"You stepped on holy ground." She replies with a nod.

"Okay wait- this doesn't make sense. The memories I have of my family are vivid. I mean, I was close enough to my sister that I could talk to her when I was stuck at Neverland."

"Neverland is a place where your imagination runs wild. Dreams feel real and people go crazy. That's why those Lost Boys are so odd with their games and so loyal to Pan." She says.

"If that's true then I never had a family." I grow disheartened at the thought and suddenly Cassiopeia's hand is on her cheek. She tips my head up so I look at her and tilts her head.

"It means that you have more family than you could ever wish for." I stare back at her.

"What now?" I ask.

"Now you come with me and we see how many rituals your body can stand. Your emotions are going wild so we need to do what we can to strengthen your abilities." She stands as she says this and holds her hand out to me. I take it and stand with her.

"How will we know for sure that I'm Veela?" I ask.

"Humans won't feel anything during the rituals but if you're Veela you'll feel strange inside." We walk back inside and as we enter the hall the Matriarch adds, "You'll also go harpy and try to kill us."

We leave through a side entrance of the building to descend another long staircase. Cassiopeia has enlisted the help of three Nyx and two other Veela so that we can merge a few of the enlightenment ceremonies into one. It's a long walk but eventually we reach the valley of the mountains. In its centre is a spring with some short pillars and rocks surrounding it; it reminds me of the pools goddesses would bathe in in ancient Greek mythology.

"Lena, put this on and go stand waist deep in the water." The matriarch says as she hands me some black robes. I slide the robes on over my dress and head towards the water. The Matriarch and the others move into position surrounding the pool and put on white robes which have black runes on the hems. The Matriarch has a thick book in her hands with similar runes on the front which she opens and begins to read from. I look around at the others facing me and begin to feel a bit awkward. The language Cassiopeia is chanting isn't one I'm familiar with so I wait until I'm given further instructions. Suddenly I feel a surge of power go through me like I felt the first time I stepped into the courtyard. My vision goes black and I feel like every bone in my body is being stretched. The chanting is still ringing in my ears when I feel someone's hands on me. They encourage me to move to my knees and lean backwards so that my hair is submerged in the water all the way to my forehead. My vision comes back in flashes and I see the Matriarch leaning over me as she chants. In another flash I see those surrounding me holding torches. It goes black again and I feel a burning, painful sensation in my back, fingers and toes. Suddenly I feel airborne; there are still hands on me and my dress is heavy with water, causing it to stick to my ankles.

When I wake up I'm greeted with the morning sun shining in my eyes. I take a look around and notice that I'm curled up by some thick tree roots in the middle of a forest. My dress is damp and dirty and my hair feels muddy. I hear the echoes of people calling my name from afar and my memories of last night begin to come back to me. I was flying through the forest and it felt amazing. But now my body just aches and my back stings.

"Lena!" I hear Pan's voice by my side. I crane my neck to look up at him and give him a numb smile.

"We've been looking all over for you." He adds as he leans down by my side and scoops me into his arms. His arm runs across my back and it stings in two places. I let out a moan of pain and he rearranges his grip on me. I instantly think back to when I saw the scars on Cassiopeia's back, they were from her wings. As Pan is walking with me he moves his lips to my face and kisses my forehead.

"It's okay, I've got you." He says.


	10. Chapter 10: Felix

At some point when Pan is walking me back to the Aerie I fall asleep again, only to wake up on a comfy queen bed in what looks like one of the guest rooms. The pain and fatigue I once felt is replaced with a feeling of power and exhilaration. I sit up to see that Pan is sat forward on an arm chair in the corner. He looks up at me and when we make eye contact I invite a feeling I haven't felt since I was on Neverland. I want to be devious and play with his emotions like putty.

"Come on, we're leaving." He says, moving to his feet.

"Where are we going?" I ask, sitting back against the headrest.

"I don't care, anywhere. I don't like that they hurt you and I don't know what else is going to happen." He walks to the end of my bed and I climb out from under the covers.

"I can't just leave, I'm Veela. This is my home now." As I say it the door opens and Felix walks into the room with us.

"You're one of them?" He asks.

"Yes, I'm one of _them._" I say dryly, adding, "Do you have a problem with Veelas?"

"I don't like what they can make me do." He says, folding his arms. I narrow my eyes at him and feel some anger building up. I lean back on the bed and look down at the covers.

"If you two hate this place so much then leave; I don't need you to stay and I never asked you to come find me." I look up at Felix, "Some of us need more time to heal than others." Felix rubs his chin with a look of shame before looking at the floor. There is knock on the door and I hear Laura speak from behind it,

"Felix?" She calls. Felix looks back up at me and I make a point of staring back.

"Go on; your fiancé wants you." The words come out smoothly and it feels like I'm hearing them through a sheet of glass. There's a tingling around my heart that lets me know I'm using my charm and I notice Felix' eyes widen slightly and his pupils dilate. It feels like our eye contact has created a tunnel and everything beyond our faces is blurred. He mouth gapes open and he simply nods before opening the door and leaving the room. As soon as he turns away the blurriness goes and I feel like I'm back in my own head. I swing my legs off the side of the bed and move to stand, these new things I'm feeling excite me. I look at Pan who's staring at me intently then glance down at my dress to notice that it's still the dirty one I had on before.

"I'm going to bathe." I look up at Pan as I say it. That mischievous tug on my heart is strong and I feel devious enough to add, "Are you going to join me or should I go get Aetius?" As soon as I say it I notice his jaw clench and his eyes darken. A small part of me feels bad I can't help but smile wickedly.

"What's happening to you?" He asks after a pause. Before I can answer him the door is opened by Emmeline. She narrows her eyes at Pan and looks over to me.

"Hello, cousin." She says with her usual lying smile.

"Emmeline." I nod back to her.

"My mother wants to see you. Though, I suggest you bathe first." She looks to my clothes and hair and I look back at Pan with the same wicked grin. There's a voice inside telling me that I need to get a hold of myself, but being cruel just feels so good. I head to the en-suite without another word to either of them and swiftly bathe, dress and style my hair. Once I return to the room I notice that's its empty so I head off to the throne room to meet with Cassiopeia.

"Lena!" She says with a smile as she greets me. "You did so well my darling niece!" She's sat up in her throne but offers for me to sit in one of the arm chairs to the side of the throne. I walk up the steps to join her in sitting and look out across the Hall to see Emmeline scowling at me with folded arms.

"Someone's upset." I say with a nod in her direction. The Matriarch notices where I'm looking and purses her lips while Emmeline storms off down the hall.

"She's jealous that I'm allowing you to sit up here. I don't like to play favourites but you are royal now and I don't believe I've ever seen a new Veela do as well as you did last night. Your body can take quite a beating." She nods to me with a smile. I raise an eyebrow.

"You beat me?" I ask.

"Of course not, I just meant that the rituals can take quite a toll on the Veela." She says.

"Yes, I remember that." I purse my lips and she places a hand over mine.

"So how do you feel now?" She tilts her head.

"Great, actually- I think I used the charm before when I encouraged Felix to leave my room."

"Hmm, I've noticed Pan and that blonde boy staring at you quite a bit." She smirks, continuing, "Though you really must be careful with the charm. You're very new to it and it can happen without you meaning to use it. Humans are very susceptible to it."

"Am I only able to charm men?" I ask, tilting my head.

"There are a few exceptions to the charm, though most humans capable of being attracted to a female are able to be charmed, unless you're related to them."

"What about Nyx?"

"Nyx will probably love you anyway but no, you can't charm them. A grey area exists for other magical identities; generally the ones capable of love can be charmed. But then witches these days are coming up with all sorts of spells and enchanted charm-protection jewellery for their men to wear; and for them to sell, of course. I know I can't blame them for being cautious - we can do damaging things with the charm – but if we really wanted to hurt them we would just go harpy." She finishes with a pensive sigh and leans to her side to rest her chin in her palm.

"How far can we go with the charm?" I ask her.

"It's like magic- it depends on how powerful the user is. Though I'm not going to lie, the most powerful of our kind can drive men to homicide." She says it like it's nothing, like it's an everyday occurrence. I find my mind drifting off, wondering if I was right to dive headfirst into this new world. That is, until Cassiopeia interrupts my train of thought.

"So- on the topic of those boys… I've also noticed my dear Aetius staring at you every now and then." I look at her timidly and she responds with a smile.

"Darling, I'm not Emmeline. I'm all for one of my girls ending up with that handsome boy, he's very clever. Though, something tells me you're not the type to settle."

"I like to keep my options open. I would have thought that's common among Veela."

"Oh, it is. You should just be careful; others might not take to your breaking of hearts kindly."

"Hmm… so what can I do about keeping my emotions in check?" I change the subject.

"You're feeling the pressures of your many impulses?" She asks.

"Yes. It's like part of me wants to give into a violent anger – to release the harpy. Another part of me wants to hurt the feelings of everyone around me and then a different part wants to throw a party and dance and laugh. But then yet another part of me wants to-" I stop and feel myself blush, "Well… give into my other impulses." I finish.

"Well, as your matriarch I would advise you to focus solely on not letting out anger. If you have to go overboard on your other impulses then so be it. You're young and independent- do what you will." Hearing this makes me feel like smiling. I nod as I consider what she's said and she continues,

"Now, you'd better go - I've got to go meet with some people. But if you have any troubles go to Emmeline, she's a teenager at heart but is a responsible second-in-command." She nods with a smile and I move to my feet.

"Thank you for your advice." I give her a slight bow before hurrying off to find the guest house.

The guest house is a detached building on the mountain but isn't too far away. It looks very similar to the main building and I find myself getting lost a few times when trying to navigate it. Eventually I wander into a hall and notice Felix sitting alone on a balcony. I open the glass door and Felix turns to face me, his mouth gapes slightly but he remains silent.

"You cut your hair." I say with a slight smile. He nods to me and turns to look out at the mountain range again. I walk over to the loveseat he's on and smooth my dress as I sit. A moment of silence passes before one of us speaks,

"I'm sorry if my moving on hurt your feelings." Felix says. I stare ahead as I consider my next words.

"Do you love her?" I ask him finally.

"I thought so… but then I saw you again and I just remembered everything that happened on Neverland." I look up at his face.

"So what did happen after I left? How did you meet her?" I ask.

"Pan had us all leave Neverland and we moved between worlds quite a bit. Pan said it was so we could go find more places to partake in celebration and just enjoy ourselves but I knew he was trying to find something. He was very secretive once we left Neverland and didn't tell me much. Along the way I met Laura and she was the first person Pan encouraged me to get close to. I wanted to finally have something real and meaningful and I began to feel quite strongly about Laura. So when Pan showed me this ring he'd found in an antique store I kept it. One day Laura found it in my bag and I knew I had to make up my mind then and there."

"So you proposed?" I ask him in disbelief.

"Well, I told her to wear it." He shrugs. I almost laugh at this thought.

"Felix, that doesn't mean you two are engaged!" I laugh, while he remains deadpan.

"I never said that, you did… and also Laura." He says.

"So she thinks you want to marry her? Oh my god that hilarious." I say with another laugh, slapping his arm.

"No it's not." He shakes his head, tilting it back in exasperation. "Stop laughing." He orders. I calm myself down and look back at his face. I can't hold back my smile and he turns to look at me. I slowly slide my hand to rest on his. He looks out over at the mountain again and I place my free hand gently on his jaw, turning his head to face me. I lean my forehead to his and we embrace for a moment.

"Lena- it's difficult now." He says in a low tone.

"It was difficult before." I whisper, moving my face to his some more. Our lips brush and he sits back some more.

"This can't happen this time." He says with seriousness. I feel the same anger creeping up and my mind spins with thoughts of lashing out or charming him to kiss me. I have to work hard to stomp them down, attempting to let my old morals come back. I exhale in disappointment but this seems to interest him. I think back to something I heard in the rituals, about how Veela are special in that every single thing about us was genetically designed to draw men in. Felix moves his hand to my leg, grips under my knee and pulls me closer to him. This moves me off balance and I let out a squeal of surprise as I fall forward. He catches me in his arms and pulls me onto his lap. I'm smiling at him brightly but he keeps his eyes fixed on mine in a determined expression. I move my hand up and run my fingers through his hair.

"Felix?" a voice says from the doorway. He lets go of me suddenly and turns to look to the voice. I move to my feet and turn around to see Laura standing at the door, looking pissed.

We all go silent.


	11. Chapter 11: A Proposal

I look between the two of them silently. Laura looks angry and Felix has diverted his attention to the ground.

"Well... I think I'd better go." I say before walking to the door. I attempt to push past Laura but she grabs my arm and pulls me to face her.

"I don't think so." She says darkly.

"Laura…" Felix begins, his eyes now on us. I glance over at Felix and then back at Laura. I feel the anger rising in my chest and from the change in expression on Laura's face I assume my eyes have gone black. She releases her hold on me and I push past her, not looking back. I leave the guest house and head back to the main building, as I near the front courtyard I hear music and laughing. I walk down the steps to see everything in full swing. Veela are giggling and dancing around, the lost boys are either being dragged around to join the dance or watching the Veela in awe. I move through the throng of people, side stepping the clumsy or dazed Lost Boy that gets in my path. When I take a moment to look around I smile, this kind of atmosphere makes me happy. My smile widens when I see three familiar faces sitting by the side, gawking at the dancing girls. I stroll over to them.

"Hello you three." I greet them. Nik, Flyde and Benny all look up at me with the same open-mouthed, wide-eyed gaze. Like the others, they're dressed in casual clothes and look a lot less scruffy than the last time I saw them.

"Lena!" Nik says, standing up to hug me. I hug him back and the other two boys give me a wave. They rearrange where they're sitting to give me a place to sit and we get caught in a conversation about what they've been doing since I left Neverland. I'm mid-sentence when I notice Pan hurry through the courtyard towards the manor. I quickly excuse myself and make my way to the entry lobby, where I notice Pan talking to Laura in a hushed, stern tone. As soon I step onto the threshold my shoe heel clicks on the marble floor and the two look up at me. Laura gives me a dirty look and turns around to exit through the corridor. Pan begins to follow her.

"Running away from me, are you?" I ask him, folding my arms. He stops and turns to look at me.

"You shouldn't mess with Felix like that. Not again." He says, going to turn away again.

"It's not my fault if he never got over me." I say, walking to sit on the chaise longue. "Actually, it seems you're a bit jealous." I add, patting the spot next to me.

"I don't feel like chatting." He says simply, unmoving from where he stands.

"Well then you can listen, I have some things to discuss with you." I lean back against the headrest and Pan slowly makes his way over to sit with me. Once he sits he stares ahead, out at the courtyard.

"Do you remember when were on Skull Rock? When I sent Jasper through the portal?" I ask him. He remains silent but nods.

"I went looking for him as soon as I got a chance to leave the orphanage. But by the time I found him I noticed he had already been placed with foster parents and was attending the school in the district… did you do that?" I tilt my head.

"I take care of my Lost Boys." He says, leaning forward so his elbows rest on his knees, his hands clasped together loosely.

"Thank you for doing that."

"It wasn't for you. It was for Jasper." He says blankly. I tilt my head to him.

"What were you looking for after I left?"

"What?"

"Felix says you travelled everywhere with the Lost Boys once you left Neverland. And you always had some secret agenda when I was on Neverland with you. So what were you looking for?" He leans back on the lounge and, for the first time since he sat down, looks over at me.

"Linmoor is a place for magical people to go to be with others like them. There are a few towns like these, all with useful artefacts and people. I know about a few but there's still plenty more I need to find. That's what I was doing when I was travelling with the Lost Boys- I was searching for the towns." I study his expression and come to a conclusion.

"You're not telling me everything. What were you specifically hoping to find in these towns?" I ask him. He looks ahead and goes silent again. I think back to the conversations I've had with him and connect the dots in my head.

"Are you trying to get your powers back?" I ask.

"Did you know that Veela can live for up to one hundred and eighty years?" He rests and elbow on the armrest as he speaks, "And even when they're on their deathbed their appearance will only appear to be that of a sixty year old woman." I blink at him; I never knew that. I consider this and ask another question,

"The shadow took your powers when you left Neverland, didn't it?" He nods.

"Life is a lot more difficult when you have an expiration date." I tilt my head at him again before moving to my feet.

"Come, dance with me." I hold my hand out.

"I'm not in the mood." He leans back on the chair. I roll my eyes and move my hand to his, tugging his arm.

"Come on, I'm sure you'd love another excuse to hold me." I say with a smile, using both my hands to yank him to his feet. He stands up quickly and pulls me towards him. I place my hands on his upper arms to steady myself and he places his hands on my waist. I tilt my head up to see him smiling down at me wickedly. I return the smile and slide my hands to his shoulders.

"Let's go." I say in a low tone, walking backwards towards the courtyard as we hold onto each other. When we step off the threshold I turn in his arms to walk down the steps, pulling him along behind me. I begin move to the rhythm of the music, swaying my hips delicately and moving my hands to run up along my sides, behind my neck and then up through my hair. Pan stands back and watches me, rubbing his chin with his hand. His eyes are watching the way I move intently. I reach out for him and move his hands to my hips, then placing my hands on his shoulders. He doesn't move much but instead seems to enjoy keeping his hands on me as I sway my body to the music; his stance is very similar to the other boys who are with a Veela partner. I close my eyes, enjoying the melody. I've never heard music like this before but it's easy to get lost in it, no wonder Veela love dancing so much. I'm pulled out of my trance when I feel Pan holding my chin gently. I open my eyes to see his face very close to mine. He moves his mouth to my cheek, and then whispers in my ear.

"I have something of yours." I smile up at him and he moves his hand to the small of my back, leading me off to the guest house. As we approach it a small part of me is very cautious that we might be seen by Felix. However the new, dominant part of me doesn't care either way. He leads me to the room he's staying in and closes the door behind us. He let's go of me as he walks over to his wardrobe and I lean against the door with my hands joined in front of me. After rifling through a few drawers he retrieves a small blue box. He then walks over to me and takes the lid off to present its contents. As soon as I see the shell I recognise it immediately. I take it out of its box and turn the necklace over in my hands. It has the same chain, a silver linked with blue ribbon, and on the back of the shell is the inscription 'P & L' in fancy, calligraphic letters. I can't help but smirk.

"How sweet, a memento of when you tricked me and put me under a spell." I say it sarcastically and he grins.

"Something tells me you'll have plenty of occasions to do something similar to me." He runs the back of his hand across my cheek and moves his lips to my neck, kissing along it. I keep my eyes on the necklace, considering if I want it or not. I then roll my eyes at it, tossing it away so it lands on Pan's double bed. He stops kissing me and looks to where I've thrown his gift.

"You can keep it. It means more to you than it does to me." I say with an apathetic shrug.

"You've become so cruel lately." He says it without much emotion before moving his hands back to my waist and going back to kissing where my collarbone meets my neck.

"And you smell so good." He moans into my neck. I move my hand to his jaw and turn his head so I can kiss him back. He flattens his hands on the door and leans closer to me. My back is hard against the door and our chests are pressed together as we stand in a passionate embrace. All sorts of emotions are running through my head and my heart is beating fast and heavy. I have to push him away from me to catch my breath and take a moment to calm down, his eyes widen slightly as we make eye contact and his breath is hot on my face.

"Your eyes are black." He breathes. I furrow my eyebrows and place a hand on his chest, pushing him to give me more space.

"I should go." I say, moving my hand to the door handle. He grabs my hand before I can reach it,

"No. Don't." He says hurriedly. He moves his hands back around me and pulls me to him again, this time we walk backwards as he kisses me firmly. Once we stop walking he picks me up off the floor and lies me down on the bed. I smile as soon as I feel the back of my head rest against the pillow. I have to push him back again to sit up and look at his face.

"I should **really**go." I smile at him and he groans, moving his lips back to mine. He takes breaks in kissing me to respond.

"You should **really**stay." I feel his hands running along my legs. Suddenly I give him a hard shove and rock forward, pushing him so I'm sitting atop him with my legs straddling his waist. He looks up at me with excitement in his eyes and attempts to sit up to reach my lips again. I place my hands on his shoulders firmly to keep him lying down.

"Haven't you heard I'm a royal now? I can't be seen canoodling with some common _human_." I mimic Cassiopeia's proper accent as I say it.

"That's why the door is closed." He says with a grin, pushing my hands to the side and sitting up to kiss me again.

"Besides-" He pauses our kissing. "-Soon you'll be eighteen. You can make your own decisions. Marry who you want." At this I pause. I turn my head to the side and he moves his lips to kiss along my shoulder to my collarbone.

"Why would I consider marriage when I turn eighteen?" I ask, with a raised eyebrow. His words are muffled against my neck.

"Because that's what you do when you turn eighteen." I stop him from kissing me and he leans back to face me.

"Maybe in your century, but these days are different. Also we're Veela- we don't exactly settle down that early." My confused expression remains and his changes to match mine.

"So you're not considering marriage at all?" He asks. My eyes widen in disbelief.

"Are you?"

"I've been alive for a very long time; I would like to eventually settle down." I slide off his lap and sit back on the bed. At a loss for words I just stare at him wide-eyed.

"Well, what do you think?" He asks, placing his hand on my leg.

"I think you think this is something more than it really is." I slide off the bed and out of his grasp, adding, "I also think you and I want two different things." Pan looks at me with a frown.

"I mean- what the hell? What happened to the Peter Pan I knew who just wanted to play games and conquer? You've gone all… soft." I say as I cross my arms with a displeased look on my face.

"I changed because you wanted me to. Why have you suddenly become a wicked, deceiving… temptress?" He moves to his feet as he asks.

"What?" I raise an eyebrow.

"I mean you were like that when we were in Neverland but at least then you had a reason to be like that. Now it's like you're a completely different person."

"How are you not getting that this **is **me?"

"If this is the real you then I have to say- the real you is kind of..."

"What!? I'm kind of what?" I dare him to continue. He rolls his eyes.

"This world you belong to is just backwards."

"What a double standard!" I exclaim, throwing my hands up. "You once told me that you wanted me all to yourself - like I was some sort of prize. But the second a woman takes charge and knows what she wants it's 'backwards' is it?!"

"You're getting me all wrong." He shakes his head.

"You know what? I'm done here." I head for the door before pausing and turning back to him, "And even if I did want to get married why would I want to marry someone who's hundreds of years old and has a creepy attachment to a bunch of kids?!" I leave the room, slamming the door behind me.


	12. Chapter 12: Deidre's Advice

The anger that takes a hold of me next comes on quickly. I'm hurrying away from the guest house when my chest feels like it's on fire. My vision begins to blur and there's an intense stinging in my fingers and toes. I pick up my pace to a run and inspect my nails as I near the tree line. My fingernails have gone black, their shine has been replaced with a matte finish and they're growing. The curved end extends in a sharp point and I have to kick my sandals off as the same thing is happening to my toes. I run further and further into the forest as I feel the change taking over me. My arms have gone grey and there's a pain lingering along the v-shaped cuts on my back. Suddenly I feel my whole back erupt and I'm forced to the ground. To my ears my scream sounds foreign, it sounds like a demon's shriek. Huge feathery wings break out from my back and flop to my sides. I have to sit for a moment to be sure the transformation is complete, my muscles are in agony and my toes and fingertips have gone numb. My eye catches a glimpse of the large wing to the left of me, both are hugging my body. I slowly reach out my hand to touch the feathers and as soon as my fingers connect with it, it feels just like I have another set of limbs. My hand on my wing feels just like it would if I held my leg. I have complete control of the feathered mass behind me.

Suddenly I'm jolted awake by the sound of a twig snapping. I'm lying in the dirt and I'm back in my regular form. The images of my transformation come back to me in a blur and I'm only able to remember the transformation clearly, everything else is too hazy. I push myself to a sitting position and notice someone standing over me. When my eyes adjust to the light I notice it's a Veela with fiery red hair and a pale green dress.

"Lena?" She asks me. I nod to her and attempt to push myself to my feet; I feel her hands grasp my arms to help me up.

"My name is Deidre. Let's get you cleaned up." She says as she helps me walk back to the mansion. The movement helps my muscles stretch and feel less constricted and by the time we reach the courtyard, I feel much stronger. Deidre helps me wash my hair and I scrub the dirt off my face and body. She later comes in dressed in a modern outfit compiled of jeans, a t-shirt and a jacket. In her hands is a pile of similar clothes.

"I'm going on an excursion, the Matriarch asked if you could come with me." She says, placing the pile on the counter. After dressing I meet her in the courtyard, the sky is quickly going dark.

"Where are we going?" I ask her, hurrying to match her quick pace.

"There are some people I need to see in a town beyond the valley. Cassiopeia knows you have some background in physical combat and wanted you to escort me." She doesn't stop walking as she turns to face me, "Is that okay?" She adds.

"Yeah. I'd like to get out for a bit." I nod. We've taken a path leading through the forest and ahead there seems to be a clearing with a large field. Sitting in the middle of the field is a helicopter. I widen my eyes as we approach it.

"We're taking _that_?" I ask. Deidre nods to me briefly and I notice that she seems very different from the other Veela. Notably because she hasn't smiled or laughed once since I've been around her. Clearly there's something on her mind.

We slide into the helicopter and Deidre leans forward to whisper something into the pilot's ear. He turns to face her with a familiar infatuated expression before pressing some buttons and flicking some switches on the control panel. The helicopter jolts to life and we wait to allow the blades to pick up speed before slowly lifting off the ground. On the journey I peer out the window to look at the lights shining in the towns below us. We seem to be flying over a very rural area so a lot of the landscape below us is dark, save for a few houses. I glance over at Deidre who's sitting opposite me and has her head leaning against the window. Her eyes are glazed over like she's caught in a daydream.

"Is everything okay?" I have to yell it over the roaring sounds of the spinning blades. She looks over at me and responds in the same volume.

"That's what we're going to find out." She goes back to her gloomy expression and I lean back on the chair, gazing out the window again. Before long the pilot notifies us that we'll be landing shortly and instructs us on what to do once we leave the helicopter. I look out the window as we land to see that we're in a large field with the only building in sight being a huge farmhouse. Once the doors open I follow Deidre to the estate. We stop out the front and she pulls a key out of her bag before turning to me.

"Wait here." She disappears behind the side of the garage and five minutes the garage door opens for a black Mercedes to drive out. It pulls out in front of me and upon opening the passenger door I notice Deidre in the driver's seat. I slide in and nod in her direction.

"Nice car." She accelerates down the gravel road and I take another chance at finding out what we're doing.

"So who are we going to see?" I ask, peering at her. She takes a breath and her grip on the steering wheel tightens.

"My husband; He's dying." She says eventually. I open my mouth to speak but suddenly I'm lost for words. It takes a solid minute before I settle on what to say.

"I'm sorry." I say quietly. She doesn't respond but as she stares ahead of her I notice her eyes go glassy. After a ten minute drive we pull up outside another large estate. The lights are on inside and the drive is lit up by standing outdoor lanterns. There are other cars pulled up out front. Once Deidre turns the engine off, she peers out at the house and sits silently. I glance up at her, waiting for an order but she remains soundless. We remain this way for another ten minutes. I tap my thumbs together quietly and Deidre just keeps on staring up at the house.

"How long have you been married?" I ask; the words barely audible to my ears. Deidre seems to hear me, however, as she responds.

"Thirty years." This causes me to widen my eyes; I look at her face and observe that she doesn't look a day past thirty.

"We married when I was nineteen." She begins, turning to face me. "It was such a scandal back then because he was forty and left his wife for me. He already had a kid from a previous marriage, Chelsea, who hates me." A tear rolls down her cheek and she rests her head back on the headrest. She lets out a small laugh at her thoughts.

"God I can't believe I have to go see his family again. They all hate my guts." She wipes away the tear on her cheek and sniffs. "They think I'm a home wrecker." She shakes her head, running a hand through her hair.

"You two were together for twenty years. Clearly you must have really loved each other if you were together for that long." I say, trying to convince her of it. She nods to me assuredly.

"We did- We do love each other. It's just that his family knows what I am and they think I'm some sort of spawn of Satan. As if I was just using him all those years and tomorrow I'm going to move onto the next young husband to steal. But seriously, if I didn't take us seriously, why would I hang around all those years watching the person I love wither and die while I have to go on and live without him?" She shakes her head once again while she wipes her cheeks.

"Okay. I'm wasting time, let's go." She grabs her bag and gets out of the car. I follow suit and we march up to the front door. She's just about to knock when a human woman, who appears to be in her mid-thirties, opens the door.

"Oh, look who showed up." The woman says.

"Chelsea…" Deidre sighs.

"Are you here to cash in on your half of the will? You know he's not even in the ground yet." Chelsea snaps, her eye make-up appears to have run down her cheeks.

"You know I don't care about the money. Have it all if you want, I just want to see him." She folds her arms.

"I don't think that's appropriate right now." Chelsea says, narrowing her eyes.

"He's my husband, Chelsea. I don't want to fight over this too." Deidre says calmly.

"Well he's my father. And I didn't want my mother and I to be replaced but we were." Chelsea says sternly.

"I'm not in the mood to have this fight with you Chelsea." Deidre rolls her eyes.

Chelsea narrows her eyes before turning away to slam the door. I slide my foot in the doorway before she can and Chelsea turns back in surprise. She pushes against the door to shut it so I step forward and shove it open. Chelsea takes a step back in surprise and I swing the door open for Deidre to walk in. I follow in after her and look over at Chelsea.

"She might not be willing to fight but I am." I say darkly.

"Lena." Deidre says in a warning tone with raised eyebrows. I catch a glimpse of myself in a hanging mirror and notice that my eyes have gone black again.

"Go sit down." She orders. Suddenly we hear a man's voice calling from upstairs.

"Deidre? Is that you?" He calls. Deidre looks to the staircase before hurrying up it. I'm left in the entrance with Chelsea whose staring daggers at me.

"He's dying and you won't allow him to be with the woman he loves?" I question her.

"You don't know anything about it." She looks me up and down, adding, "I would call you a kid but no one can really tell how old you things are, can they?" She asks rhetorically. I roll my eyes at her before walking to sit down on a sofa. A few minutes pass when Deidre calls from upstairs.

"Chelsea, come here quickly!" There's panic in her voice. Chelsea dashes up the stairs and I follow behind. I follow Chelsea to what seems to be the master bedroom and notice an old, sickly looking man in the bed with some monitors and wires attached to his arms and chest. He's probably much younger than he appears but his sickness is clearly taking its toll. The two women sit on either side of the man and each take his hand. The look on both their faces is identical; they're both distraught and worried. Some of the machines are flaring up and beeping wildly but everyone on the bed seems completely calm. The man is saying something in a very low volume to the two and both women are leaned in close to hear him. I stand at the doorway watching the scene and can't help but feel like I'm intruding on an extremely private moment. I turn to the side and rest my back on the doorframe; my from this angle I can see the three in my peripheral. I glance up again when a fourth person walks up to them; I didn't even notice he was in the room. He stands at the end of the bed holding a clipboard and as soon as the beeping of the heart monitor fades into one long sound he makes a note in his files. The two women remain where they are, clutching the old man's hands, while the other man walks over to the heart monitor and turns it off. Without the monitor's noise, I can hear the soft sound of Chelsea sobbing. Deidre moves off the bed and walks up to me with something in her hand. Her eyes are watery and there are new tears on her cheeks.

"Go start the car. I need another moment." She says, handing me the keys. I nod to her and watch her walk over to Chelsea. She links her arm with the other woman's and encourages her to stand up and move away from the now deceased man. My last sight of them before turning away is the two hugging, both crying on each other's shoulders.


	13. Chapter 13: The Wine Cellar

I drum my fingers on the dashboard of the car as I wait for Deidre. Ten minutes pass before the passenger door opens and she slides into the passenger seat, wiping her cheeks. As we drive back to the field with the helicopter we remain silent, save for a few driving directions from Deidre. It's when we have been seated and secured in the helicopter that she opens up again.

"If I had to give one tip to any new Veela like yourself, I would advise you not to fall in love with a human." She says it with seriousness before withdrawing her make-up from her bag and reapplying her eye liner and mascara. Once she fixes her appears she sits straight and slowly exhales. I notice her mood seems to have completely shifted. She's not cheerful but she's no longer sad. She looks quite apathetic and the look in her eyes is so set that it's hard to tell that this is probably the worst day she's had in a long time.

Once the helicopter lands and we walk back to the guest house Deidre and I part ways. She reminds me of her previous advice and disappears off to her bedroom. I'm left standing in the corridor, torn between what I feel like doing. Suddenly I feel lifted up from behind. I let out a small squeal as I feel a man's strong arms wrap around my waist and lift me into the air.

"Shh! I want to show you something." William's voice says drunkenly. I squirm in his arms to try and free myself but he has a firm grip and responds to my squirming with laughter.

"Willia-ahh!"I'm then lifted up, placed over his shoulder and lead down the corridor towards the kitchens. I continue to turn and push but whenever I struggle he simply rearranges his grip on me so I can't move much. We walk through the main kitchens where I'm able to retrieve a wooden spoon which I start whacking his back with.

"Put me down!" I say to him sternly.

"Not yet." He says as he simply grabs the spoon with his free hand. Before throwing it aside he gives me a light hit on the behind with it.

"Hey!" I yell in protest, squirming once again. We enter a narrow space with stone walls; we seem to be descending a small staircase. The steps below us are smooth stone and the staircase is lit by modern wall lamps. As we move down the steps William's movement is off-balance enough to make me hold my arms out to the walls just in case he falls.

"Are you drunk?" I ask him scoldingly.

"Shh, almost there." He replies in the same inebriated tone. Eventually the staircase is filled with light and we move out of the narrow space. He slides me off his should and places me down in front of him. I give him a shove before taking a few steps back; then turn to observe where he's brought me. It's a bright modern-style wine cellar with wide columns of shelves and boxes; all filled with an assortment of alcohol beverages.

"Shall I help madam choose a wine for this evening?" He arches his back in a bowing gesture before stumbling slightly.

"Careful!" I reach out and help him steady his balance. Suddenly he closes his hands over mine. I pause with a confused expression before looking up at his face. He's looking down at me intently; his breath is hot on my face and smells of alcohol.

"I think it's time you went to bed, William." I tell him sternly, attempting to take a step back. His hands are still over mine and he's pressed them firmly to his chest. As I step back he steps forward, and after repeatedly trying to gain some distance from him, my back eventually meets one of the shelves. With my back pressed firmly to the shelf William takes another step forward with the same intent look in his eyes. He closes the distance between us and cranes his neck to move closer to my face.

"William; stop it." I say calmly, keeping my eyes on his.

"The charm doesn't work on me, sweetheart. I'm not human." He moves his face a little closer to mine and I feel he's moved my hands from his chest to press against the shelf next to my head. His lips lightly brush mine and I feel a fluttering in my chest.

"Go on. Kiss me." He whispers to me. The voice of reason and logic in my head is screaming, telling me to knee him in the crotch and leave. But the new, dominating Veela voice in my head is spiteful for what happened with Peter and wants me to take risks; after all… it's only a kiss. I tip my chin upwards so my lips meet his and as soon as they do he presses his body to mine. Our bodies melt into each other and he slides his hands down to my legs and under my thighs to lift me up. I continue to kiss him passionately as I feel myself being lifted from the ground. As we kiss, all the worries of my night drift away and it feels like, in this room, time has completely stood still. I feel myself being sat on the top of a low shelf while William stands, kissing me firmly. We stay like this for a long time, our hands running over each other's bodies, grasping and pulling. I push my body to his firmly and feel myself being lifted again. When I feel my feet touch the ground I open my eyes. William is moving to sit on the floor and he's pulling me along with him. I drop to my knees and he rolls us over so he's above me; we lie on the floor kissing some more, our stamina never faltering. It's when I feel a breeze on my mid drift that I notice William has removed my top. My hands dig under the hem of his shirt and suddenly his is off too. He sits up for a moment and smiles down at me, his eyes a brilliant gold in this light. It's then that I feel the fluttering in my heart replaced with an unbearable heat. My face creases in pain and I grip my chest tightly.

"Lena?" William asks, worriedly. I feel his hand on my back as he helps me sit up. I bring my knees to my chest and arch my back; I can already feel my wings begging to break free.

"Please no- not now." I say in a panic.

"Oh you're- wait here one second." He pauses, pushing my back so I straighten it, adding, "Focus on your breathing." I inhale and exhale deeply, trying not to focus on the heat in my chest. William runs out of my line of sight and appears moments later holding a small vial. He drops to my side and moves the vial to my lips.

"What is this?" I barely get to finish the words before he tips it in my mouth. The taste is vile and I begin to choke on the liquid falling down my throat.

"Swallow it, trust me." He says, tilting my head back. As the liquid enters my stomach its effects target the heat in my chest, instantly cooling it. The pain in my back is replaced with numbness, in fact, my whole body goes numb. I blink my eyes drowsily and the lights above me go blurry; the last image I see is William leaning over me, his hand on the back of my head, lowering me back to lie on the ground. I mumble something incoherent to even my ears before falling into a numb, cosy sleep.

I blink my eyes open and instantly greet the memories of earlier. I feel a steady breath on my shoulder and turn to see William's face very close to mine. His eyes are closed and after further inspection I notice his hand is draped over my stomach. I move to sit up and my head goes light and dizzy. When I fall back I'm surprised to feel my head hit something soft rather than the hard floor. I glance over at William and notice he's awake and smiling at me. His hand has been slipped under my head.

"Thanks." I say while I rub my eyes, adding, "What time is it?"

"Morning, I'd say." He shrugs, helping me sit up.

"What was in that vial?" I ask, running my hand through my hair.

"It was something given to us by the witches- before they hated us." He picks up the vial to show me as he continues. "It stops the transformation from taking place by putting you to sleep. During our alliance they were working on something that wouldn't knock the Veela out, but the alliance didn't last long enough for them to perfect it. So now we're left with a bunch of these sleeping potions." He tosses it to the side like it's worthless.

"Isn't sleeping a better option than killing people?" I ask.

"Yes, it is. But most Veela care more about boycotting any witch products than listening to reason. Also there's the fact that they don't trust the potions."

"Why not?"

"When the witches decided they hated Veela they were secret in their punishments. They gave us new potions under the guise that they were improved but really they just put Veela in a coma."

"Oh wow." I widen my eyes.

"Yeah... the matriarch eventually found out that there was a way to reverse the effects of the potion, but it just made the Veela angrier."

"Why? What was the antidote?"

"True love's kiss." He looks at me as he says it, which causes me to roll my eyes.

"It was a message, you see- they were pointing out a flaw of the Veela."

"And what flaw is that? That Veela can't love?"

"They can, most just don't choose to. Lust has higher priority." He shrugs as he says this, before moving to his feet.

"Remind me again why the witches hate your kind?" He holds his hand out to help me up.

"There was a lot of pressure on the alliance, eventually it just crumbled." I give this a moment of thought.

"That's too bad." I say eventually, placing my hand on the wine shelf to keep myself balanced. As soon as my hand touches its surface I remember what happened- well what _almost_ happened. I look to the floor.

"Why?"

"Hmm?" I look up at him.

"Why is it too bad?" He looks genuinely confused, adding, "They're dangerous."

"Yeah they are- and powerful. But that's why they were a great ally." I smirk to him as I say it. He looks at me with an expression I don't recognise. A few moments pass before I can't help but feel amused by his curious expression.

"What?" I ask with a smile.

"You're going to be a queen one day, Lena Murdoch." He says finally, his expression changing to a smile.

"Well when I am, I bet you'll be there to 'watch' the wine cellar for me." I raise an eyebrow, my fingers lightly running along the shelf next to me. His eyes move to my hand and he runs his hand through his hair.

"Well aren't you going to apologise for your behaviour?" I ask with a smirk, moving my arms to cross them. As soon as move my hand from the shelf, though, I begin to stumble. He steps forward and moves his hands around me. He looks down at me with a very familiar expression and I go light-headed again, but not because of the potion.

"I'm not sorry for what happened." He looks down at me with a very familiar look. I look up at him some more before placing a hand on his chest and lightly pushing him away from me.

"When will this wear off?" I ask, taking some steps back.

"In a few minutes… I'm not sure how you'll manage the staircase, though." He offers a hand to me but I refuse by turning away and heading for the steps. I hear him follow close behind me as we ascend the staircase. I take a few glances over my shoulder as I climb and each time I do, I notice the smirk on his face as he watches me.


	14. Chapter 14: A Stand-off

When we reach the top of the steps we head for the main hall room. After passing through the kitchens I hear a commotion rising near the throne. As soon as we step into the room I notice Deidre being questioned by the matriarch, who looks stern and annoyed.

"You said she came back with you so then where did she go after you got here?" The matriarch asks her.

"I don't know, I went to bed- I'm sure wherever she is she's fine…" Deidre tries to calm her down. In the group of people I notice Emmeline, Peter, Felix and Laura. Emmeline is the first to notice William and I walk in and as soon as she does, she scowls at me.

"What's going on?" I ask the group. The Matriarch breathes a sigh of relief as she sees me and Deidre speaks first,

"See? I told you she's here." She places her hand on her hip. My eyes meet Peter's; he looks concerned.

"Lena, darling- where were you?" The Matriarch asks me with a raised brow. I open my mouth to respond but I'm cut off when Cassiopeia looks between William and I and smiles.

"Oh, I see." She crosses her arms, smiling deviously. Some of the Veela present begin to giggle. I glance to William who runs a hand through his hair with a smirk, before looking back at Cassiopeia. I then come to realise what they must be thinking and quickly take a few paces forward, away from William.

"No- it's not what you think…" I begin, raising my hands in defence. Emmeline storms out of the room; I look to Peter and he glares back at me with a furious expression. I then glance over to Felix and Laura; Felix is looking at me with a hurt expression and as soon as Laura notices she grabs him by the collar and drags him out of the room. I sigh and roll my eyes; when did everyone become so dramatic?

"Lena. Where were you?" Peter asks me sternly. I look over to him with wide eyes.

"She spent the night with me in the wine cellar." William says, sounding triumphant. Peter takes a half step forward and his knuckles go white from the tightness of his fist.

"Lena?" Peter asks me, the anger predominant in his voice. I slowly exhale and try to focus on rejecting the tension that's building in my body. I stare back at him with a cool expression.

"I almost turned, Will- Aetius helped me." I glance back at William, who is still caught in a challenging staring match with Peter.

"You know this tension is so thick I could cut it with a knife." The Matriarch says, unbothered. "What's got you boys so riled up?" She adds.

"I think its Lena." One of the Veela says in an amused tone.

"Quite the little heartbreaker, aren't you my dear?" Cassiopeia says as she places a hand affectionately on my cheek. She then walks up to her throne, waving us away with her hand as she speaks.

"Just remember, if you boys hurt one another you'll both be kicked out." She pauses before she sits.

"And Lena if you insist on pitting these boys against each other at least sleep with them _both _so it's equal." I bring my fingers to my temple, in an attempt to quell my budding headache. Peter walks to my and takes a firm grasp of my arm. He drags me off in the direction of the corridor as he continues to glare at William over his shoulder. William returns the glare, his jaw is set.

"I suppose I'll see Lena later for her bath then." He calls to us. This makes Peter stop in his tracks and turn around to look at William again. He clenches his fists even tighter and he looks like he's about to implode. I then take this moment to push him in the direction of the corridor. He moves to my touch but continues to eye off William. Once we leave the main hall Peter turns and places a hand on my back to lead me away. He walks with me to the closest room that he knows will be private and we end up in my bedroom. As soon as he shuts the door behind him I cross my arms and walk over to lean against the dressing table, ready to face his yelling. He doesn't look at me though; instead he does a few paces back and forth. I raise my eyebrow at him and suddenly he takes a hold of a vase near him. He hurls the vase at the wall and it shatters and crumbles into pieces. As he throws it he lets out a grunt. I jump at the sound of the vase breaking and look back at him wide-eyed.

"Just _why _do you hurt me like this?!" He asks, his voice angry and uneven. I blink at him and he continues. "I try to do everything you want and **still**- you choose someone else over me. Just what can I do to make you happy?" He stares at me with a mixed look of anger and desperation. I try to find the words to respond to him and in my mind I beg for the dominant, cool Veela voice to speak- to give me guidance. After my silence he continues.

"Do _you_ even know what will make you happy?" He asks. I blink at him some more before looking to the ground. He sighs and grips his hair in stress.

"After the ball tomorrow night I'm leaving. The Lost Boys and I are clearing out for good." He says simply, before walking out of the room. I stare over at the shattered vase on the ground and drum my fingers on the dressing table. I then turn around and look at myself in the mirror. I can barely recognise the girl staring back at me anymore. I don't know what it is about that ritual that made me feel more beautiful and confidant and devious. And I don't know if I would choose to go back to my old life. I tilt my head at the pretty – yet slightly dishevelled looking – girl in front of me. What do I want? As I consider this question I'm surprised once again by a buzzing sound coming from a pile of my old clothes in the corner. I walk over to retrieve my ringing phone and see Jeremy's name pop up on the screen. I sigh and hit the answer button, moving the phone to my ear and walking over to lie on my bed.

"Lena? Oh thank god I haven't heard from you in days. I've called you a lot; where are you?" Jeremy asks.

"Hello Jeremy, I'm staying with some distant relatives in Oklahoma. How are you?" I ask, coolly.

"What? Um… I'm fine. When are you getting back?" He asks with confusion.

"Who knows? I could live here, I haven't really decided yet."

"You're going to live in Oklahoma? Won't you miss New York?" I take a moment to consider this.

"Yes, I do miss it. But I think it's best if I stay here for a while. I've got a whole mess of problems to deal with here. Jeremy… I think it's going to be a long time before I see you again." There is silence on the other end.

"… Well what if I come visit you?" He asks.

"You can't. I have to go Jeremy."

"Wait, Lena…"

"Good bye." I hang up, tossing the phone at my pillow. I sigh, running a hand through my hair. A small part of me feels bad for the doe-eyed guy I left behind. And that same part now appreciates him for his good looks and devotion to me. But right now I've got other men in my life to deal with, and one of them might be leaving soon. I just can't have that.

After a quick shower I fix my make-up and hair and change clothes, before walking back to the main hall to join Cassiopeia in sitting at the throne.

"What's brings you here, Lena?" She asks, inspecting her nails.

"You need an elevator." I say bluntly. Cassiopeia looks up at me with a raised eyebrow and blinks a few times.

"An elevator?" She inquires.

"You know- one of those things that goes up and down-"

"- I know what an elevator is." She cuts me off. I take a breath and continue,

"Those steps are archaic. How can people easily get in and out of they have to do a trek to get here?"

"Well the point of this place is to keep people out…" She says slowly.

"Well maybe it shouldn't be. You seem so worried for the well-being of the Veela that you seem to have forgotten that you can transform into a huge fire-shooting beast whenever you want. You don't need guards, you can protect yourself." She taps her chin, seemingly interested.

"Hmm, I see. And why would we want people to be able to easily get here?" She leans on the arm rest.

"To meet with and network with the other magical beings and people in this world. Get more allies against the witches. Or better yet- try and forge an alliance with the witches themselves again."

"Now _why _would we want to do that? In fact, why would you? They killed your mother."

"And that's off-putting, but if we look at the big picture, I've never met my mother. Or when I did know her I was too young to remember now. I know it sounds awful but I never got the chance to build up a trusting, loving relationship with her. We need the witches on our side because they're powerful. And if I can move past what happened with my mother then so can you." Her expression turns to a stern one.

"No, I can't. I loved my sister and they took her and her child from me. The witches are cruel, jealous and evil. I do not trust them and neither should you." I lean back in my seat and stare ahead.

"Lena, don't get me wrong- I love that you're getting all these big ideas. And I will consider your elevator proposal. But let's not talk about the witch business any more. How about we talk boys?" She leans forward in her seat.

"Ugh, no please skip to the next topic." I roll my eyes.

"Well at least tell me who your date will be for the ball. We've got Veela and Nyx coming from all over the world to be here. It's a great networking opportunity." She insists.

"Oh aunt, I'll be more than happy to just be in your company for tomorrow evening." I flash her a sweet smile and she pouts, clearly not buying the act.

"Well why not attend with dear Aetius then? He's more than eligible; and he's quite charming."

"Jesus, why don't you go with him then?" I roll my eyes.

"Young lady, I'll remind you again that I'm your matriarch."

"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't mean that." I look at her with regret. "I'm just done with all this drama. And I do care for Peter. Part of me always has, no matter how hard I try to crush that feeling."

"Oh Lena… please don't tell me you love him." She rolls her eyes at me. I look to my hands to see that my fingers are knotted together and I can't help but smile at the thought.


	15. Chapter 15: The Ball

I sit at a vanity, facing the mirror among a group of Veela. They insisted that I get ready for the ball with them and I've gotten to know them quite a bit. Among them there is a Primrose, an Arianna, an Antheia and a Persephone; they're very friendly to me and we're able to get along pretty well. Cassiopeia has lent me a red gown for the night and I'm in the middle of doing my hair when Persephone slides onto the seat next to me. She holds a silver necklace to my chest and smiles at me in the mirror.

"You need this. It would look lovely on you." She smiles, her brilliant white teeth stand out. I smile back to her with a nod and she fastens the necklace behind my neck.

"So what occasion is this ball celebrating?" I ask, doing my hair. Arianna moves behind me and helps, taking a hold of a few strands to braid.

"Well you never really _need _a reason." Persephone says with a laugh. "But I'd wager that the Matriarch will make tonight about you." She tilts her head, watching my hair being done.

"Me? Why?" I raise an eyebrow.

"By the time we're eighteen Cassiopeia usually insists on something like this. Just to let the eligible bachelors know that you're on the market." Persephone replies, with Arianna leaning forward and adding,

"I expect a large turn out too, since you're a royal." I smirk, finishing off the last of my mascara.

"Lena, you're a vision in that colour." Antheia says with a smile.

"Thanks" I smile back. "Though, I have to say, I don't see how I'm important in the greater scheme of things. Aren't there royals from each family?" I ask.

"Yes, there's a matriarch for each region. But Cassiopeia is the high queen. She's at the top of the pyramid. That's why a certain someone is so protective over the position of her heir." Persephone responds.

"By someone you mean Emmeline?" I look over to her and she responds with a nod.

"Well she'll be waiting a long time for that position. Cassiopeia doesn't look old enough to need to retire any time soon."

"You'd be surprised; she's quite a lot older than she appears. Really, it could be any day now." Antheia says. I consider this.

"Why don't any of you want to be the next matriarch?" The girls exchange glances and Primrose, the young girl, is the first to respond.

"No one wants to be matriarch because then they'll be top of the witch hit-list." Her voice is melodious but her tone is grim. I'm about to respond when the door opens. Emmeline walks in and gives me a scowl before walking off to another mirror. I notice the girls behind me exchanging glances with smirks.

"Problem, Emmeline?" I ask, turning to look at her. She takes a seat at a vanity, flicks her long blonde hair over her shoulder and peers at me again. I can see there's something she wants to say but instead she rolls her eyes and looks into the mirror to apply lip gloss.

"Think you'll have a dance with William tonight?" I ask, sliding off the seat. The girls next to me snicker but I continue to stare down Emmeline.

"His _royal_ name is Aetius. And no, I've got another dance partner in mind tonight." She smirks into the mirror before flicking her gaze to me.

"I'll be sure to send him my remorse." I say with a raised brow, before turning to check my appearance one last time. The group of girls giggle at my comment and Emmeline huffs and flicks her hair. I leave the room to enter a bustling corridor; other Veela are rushing around, some with undone hair and others still dressed in night gowns. I head for the main hall and look around the area; I hope I can find Peter early. Some men in suits are milling around but Peter is nowhere in sight. At first the men don't look familiar but upon a second glance I find myself on the brink of laughter. It's the Lost Boys; they've been groomed and are shifting about uncomfortably in suits. I walk over to them and the group acknowledge my presence.

"Have you guys seen Pan?" I ask them, my gaze resting on each. They glare back at me wide-eyed and I notice that my vision is slightly tunnelled, with blur at the edges. I have to blink to stop myself from using the charm. Their eyes also seem to flicker after I look away from them and each take a moment to realise where they are and what they're doing. Some of them claim that they saw Peter earlier this morning but haven't seen him since. I continue to search around the building while the party picks up and guests begin to arrive.

The guests are mainly made up of Veela and Nyx who look like they've come from all over the world. The women are all dressed in beautiful gowns and the men look well-groomed and handsome in formal wear. It's when I end up back in the main hall and decide to check the guest house that the entire hall goes silent. I look to the throne and notice that Cassiopeia is stood on the podium and has her drink in her outstretched hand; she's going to make an announcement. A glass of champagne is suddenly placed in my hand and I follow the drink-givers arm to see a formally-dressed William at my side with a smile. He keeps his gaze on me as Cassiopeia begins to speak.

"My dearest friends; I'd like to take this moment to thank you all for coming. We may be from different parts of this world but we all share the same values and beliefs. In this way, we are more like family than we are a race. May we remain ever powerful in our unity." She raises her glass and the rest of the room join her. There is monosyllabic cheering from the room and I hear one man near me call,

"Spoken like a true queen!" The rest of the room waits for her indication to drink to her toast but she raises her hand to silence the cheers.

"I would also like to make a special congratulatory mention to my niece, Lena. Who once was lost but now is found. Happy 18th Birthday darling, your mother would have been proud of you." We're a large distance away from each other but she's been able to single me out and is looking directly at me as she says it. Her last sentence causes my chest to tense up. I'm not sure if it's because everyone in the room is now looking at me, or because I never imagined what my mother might think of me if she saw me today. Would she really have been proud? Also, how did Cassiopeia know that today was my birthday? It seems that as I'm caught in my thoughts, my hearing has muted and the time has slowed considerably. I know this because majority of the room is clapping in slow motion in my direction but I can't hear the sound. William's face enters my vision and I feel his hand gripped on my drink hand. I think he can tell I'm in shock because if he wasn't securing my grip on my drink, the glass would have crashed to the ground. Then all at once my hearing comes back and everyone returns to a normal speed. My heart is still racing and as soon as most people are looking up at Cassiopeia I hand away my drink to William and turn around to make a swift exit through the corridor.

"Lena!" William calls out, I hear him hurrying along after me. "Didn't you hear me?" He asks as he catches up to me, placing a hand on my elbow.

"I asked if you wanted to dance." He says, pulling me to a stop. I shrug my arm free of his hand and look in the direction of the nearest closed door, I know someone's room is beyond it and I just need to escape for a moment.

"I need a minute" I say, pushing the door open. The sight I take in after opening it, though, causes all the air to leave my body.

Peter and Emmeline are on the bed, in a compromising position. Emmeline's gown is in a pile on the floor next to a crinkled suit. Peter is the first to notice me as Emmeline's face is buried in his neck. Her back is bare, in front of his naked chest and a sheet is covering what I assume is their completely naked bodies. When I make eye contact with Peter his eyes widen and his mouth moves from kissing her shoulder to a gaping position. I stutter something unintelligible as I back towards the door and Emmeline twists on Peter's lap to look at me. She seems surprised at first but when her eyes meet mine she smiles wickedly. Peter shoves her off his lap and gathers the sheet to hold over his lower body before standing.

"Lena- I can explain." He begins, raising his free hand; his expression is still one of shock and it now has regret and despair mixed in.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Emmeline; always playing with toys that aren't yours." I hear William say in an amused tone. My back meets the door frame and I feel William's hand on the small of my back.

"Let's leave them to it, Lena. They seem busy." He says. I push his hand off of me and he backs away with a grunt of pain. We both look down to his arm and see bleeding scratches on it. I then look down to see talons growing in my fingers, I hadn't even realised I was turning; the pain in my heart is too dominating for me to notice. I take one last glance at Peter, who is still looking at my face with a pained expression, before running out of the room and into the hall; heading for the courtyard exit.


	16. Chapter 16: The Heir

I open my eyes with a groan. My whole body aches and I smell smoke nearby. I try to recall my last memories and the image of Peter and Emmeline together is still burnt on the back of my eyelids; after that it's all lost. I turn my head to look to my sides and see only dirt and trees in the darkness. At first I only hear the crackling of fire but when I hear a woman's scream I'm jolted awake. I press my body against a tree trunk in an effort to stand and in the corner of my vision is a bright light. I lean to the side, peering out from behind the tree and see that the light is coming from a small supply shed that's on fire. I remove my hands from the tree and notice that my palms are charred; I did this. The woman makes a sobbing noise and I peer out to look at her from the other side of the tree. A man comes running to her side and puts his arms around her.

"Get away from the fire Jackie!" He tries to pull her back, away from the shed, but she resists.

"Jonathon came out here to get his ball. Where is he!?" She begins to sob and the man's eyes go wide. He pulls the woman closer in an embrace as he stars at the raging fire. My heart begins to pound in my chest and my breathing becomes short and raspy. Did I just kill someone? Am I a murderer? Suddenly I hear a young boy calling to them.

"Mum? Dad? What's going on?" I look over to the boy who's running to them. The mother lets out a cry of relief as she scoops the young boy up into her arms.

"Oh Jonathon, I was so worried!" She cries. The boy looks at the fire in amazement and his parents both hug him tightly; in the distance I hear the sirens of a fire truck. I take a moment to calm my heart beat before running off into the forest. I can barely see anything and the occasionally branch whips me in the face but holding my arms out in front of me just creates strips of stinging pain on my forearms.

I walk for what feels like hours, I'm still very tired and sore but I seem to have let my subconscious take over and completely shut off any active thoughts. Something is pulling me in this direction of the forest and I have no other choice but to follow it. I feel a shimmer pass by my eyes and a light appears in the distance; as I get closer to it I can make out a structure near it. I exit the line of trees and enter a clearing; it's then that I recognise the structure as the spring I had my rituals in. I approach it and observe the calm water. After dipping my toe in a ripple is created along the surface, the water is oddly warm. I move to sit down on the edge and place my feet in the water; as I lie down on the grass I take in sight of the sky. The blackness has faded to dark blue and I assume dawn isn't too far away.

When I next open my eyes the sky is light blue, white clouds float overhead peacefully. I run my fingertips on the blades of grass under my hands and turn my head to look at them. My arms have small cuts along them, I would imagine they're identical to the ones I must have on my face. In the distance I can see a blonde man running towards me. I focus my eyes on him and recognise the man as Felix. I see him moving his lips as he calls my name, he looks confused. He eventually reaches me and kneels down beside me.

"Are you hurt?" He asks, looking up and down my body.

"More than I ever thought I could be." I say plainly, looking back up at the clouds. "What brings you down here? Looking for a bath?" I add.

"What? No- I was jogging… people were looking for you at the ball. You just disappeared." He says, his eyes observing the various scratches on me.

"Wasn't in a party mood." I sigh. He rocks back to sit next to me.

"Can you move?"

"Probably." I remain where I am.

"Your aunt is looking for you."

"She always is." He stares at my blank expression for a moment longer.

"What's wrong?" I glance over to him before slowly sliding to a sitting position. I gently place a hand on his cheek and he widens his eyes.

"Do you want to kiss me, Felix?" I ask, hearing my voice through a familiar sheet of glass. He blinks at me a few times before he speaks.

"Lena. That won't work on me anymore." He says simply, seemingly unaffected by my charm. I remove my hand from him and raise an eyebrow.

"Laura got in contact with a nearby coven… she got me this." He raises his hand; on his wrist is a brown thread bracelet. I set my eyes on it, narrowing them.

"She called the witches? She met with them **here**?" I begin to move to my feet.

"No." He begins, standing up beside me. "She didn't bring them here; she met with them yesterday before the ball. They were passing through in a trade wagon in a small town near the mountain. She was secretive about it- they don't know she's been staying with your kind." He assures me. I nod my head slowly, my eyes still on his bracelet.

"So you don't want to kiss me regardless of the charm?" I ask, moving my eyes to his. He stares back at me silently and sighs, looking to the ground.

"Whether I want to or not- it doesn't change the fact that I can't. You don't love me any more Lena, I know that. Also, when I make a promise I keep it." He holds up his thread necklace where his engagement ring sits. I frown, looking to the ground. He steps forward and pulls me into a hug.

"I know you're going through a tough time figuring out who you are and you're trying to get used to all these new abilities. Just know that I'll be here for you as a friend; alright?" He pulls back to look at me. I smirk and nod to him. He brushes a tuft of my hair behind my ear and pulls me in for another hug.

"I thought I killed someone last night." I murmur to his chest.

"And did you?" He asks, remaining where he is.

"No. But I could have." I reply. My cheeks go hot and I feel a spot of cool drip down them. Am I crying? I push myself away from Felix and wipe my cheek, looking to the ground.

"Come on… let's get you into a comfy bed." He says, placing a hand on my back and leading me away to the steps.

We reach the top of the steps and walk into the main hall. Cassiopeia is at her throne but she stands and hurries over to me when we enter.

"Thank you, lost boy, I've got her from here." She barely looks at Felix as she places her arm over my shoulders. I nod to Felix in appreciation as I'm lead off by Cassiopeia and Felix gives me a nod in return.

"Looks like you've had quite a night." She says, walking me down the corridor. "Come now, let's clean you up and then you can tell me all about it." She adds, opening the door to my room.

Cassiopeia leaves me alone, so I can bathe and place some ointment on my wounds, before joining me in resting on the bed. She sits with her back against the headboard and a pillow on her lap. I rest my head on the pillow as lie down as I tell her the events of my night. Her hand gently strokes my hair as I do and for the first time in years I feel a level of comfort and safety only a mother can give. She remains silent all through it, even when I mention the parts about catching Peter and Emmeline together in bed and almost killing a young boy. Once I finish I close my eyes, a tear rolls down the side of my face and Cassiopeia catches it on her finger.

"Boys can be cruel, my dear. You really shouldn't get in the habit of falling in love." She says. Just after she does, there's a knock on the door.

"Lena?" I hear Peter say. I look up at Cassiopeia who looks down at me.

"I suggest you leave the guest house before I make you leave the mountain, young man." She calls out to him. I hear an aggravated sigh on the other side of the door.

"Lena, can I please just explain this to you in private?" He calls. I blink at the door silently and Cassiopeia continues,

"Did you not here me? **Leave.**" I hear Peter's hand drag across the wood and then silence. He must have had his hand pressed to the door.

"He asked me to marry him the other day." I say plainly.

"I hope you said no." She says, looking down at me. I purse my lips, looking back up at her.

"You know, you don't seem to be blaming your daughter for any of this."

"Lena, once Pan brought you here his reward was an anti-charm tattoo. Emmeline didn't trick him into bed, he went willingly. Besides, she's my daughter and we're Veela. I wouldn't blame you if you stole her boyfriend."

"Not even if I charmed him?"

"Well that's just foul play." She shakes her head with a smile. I sigh, looking to the ceiling.

"What now?" I ask.

"You decide if you want to hear him out or if you never want to see him again."

"What If I don't like what he has to say?"

"Then you ask him to leave so you can move on. He wasn't a good match for you anyway, Lena. He's not even magical anymore." She shakes her head. We spend the next few minutes in silence while I consider her advice. A sudden thought comes to mind.

"So you knew nothing about my father?" I ask, peering up at her again.

"Not even a name. But that was classic Arabella, never sharing her secrets." She shakes her head.

"Oh… do you have a picture of my mother?" This brings a smile to her face; she nods and begins to get up. I sit up on the bed and watch her as she leaves the room.

"I'll be back in a moment!" She calls over her shoulder, waving to me. I slide forward to lie on my stomach as I wait. She returns not long after with a small gold picture frame. In it is a woman who looks very similar to me, wearing a blue ball gown. She's incredibly beautiful and has the same eyes and hair as me. I suppose I see slight similarities in the nose and jaw shape but each of her physical traits are more attractive. Upon further study I notice she also looks very similar to Cassiopeia. I glance up to the Matriarch who has sat next to me and is also looking at the picture.

"Did you marry to have your daughters?" I ask, turning to face her.

"Yes." She smiles, "I married a handsome blonde Nyx named Gallus."

"Where is he?"

"He has passed." He face goes slightly grimmer.

"Oh. I'm sorry." I give her a sympathetic look. She takes the picture from me and stands, walking along to place it on the dressing table.

"Yes, well- my time isn't that far away either." She keeps her gaze on the picture.

"What? But you're so young." I say, widening my eyes.

"I'm sick, darling." She turns to looks at me, her eyes are glazed; she looks like she's tearing up. This sight is so new to me that I'm almost shocked. "It's the work of the witches, I'm afraid." She walks back to sit next to me, I move from my lying position to sit next to her. She places her hand over mine.

"Now that we're on the topic, though, I have something I want to tell you."

"Alright…."

"As you know, I'm supposed to pick an heir. And before a couple of weeks ago, it very well could have been Emmeline. However, when you spoke about forging another alliance with the witches it got me thinking."

"Oh?" I tilt me head to her.

"Yes. I believe that thinking like that is just what we need. You've shown so much promise in the short time that you've been here; and at this point I'm very inclined to make you my heir."

"What?" I sit back a bit, my eyes going wide.

"I'm not making promises but I feel like you have it in you to make a great queen one day. And I think a fresh-faced, new Veela is just the person the witches need to speak to in order for them to end this war we have. They don't need someone who was raised on old, traditional values and beliefs. They need someone like you."

"Wait- why do you suddenly want this alliance? What happened to you never being able to forgive or trust them?"

"A good matriarch cannot let her emotions rule her. I can't keep mine in check anymore, but a younger woman will be able to. An alliance with the witches truly is the most beneficial route in this war, and I think you have what it takes to lead the Veela through it. So… what do you think? Do you accept my proposal?"


	17. Chapter 17: A Dance

After giving the Matriarch a very vague answer she leaves me alone in my room. I roll over to lie on my back and stare up at the ceiling. My mind drifts to Peter and the last image I have of him; when he was in bed with Emmeline. I squeeze my eyes shut and try my hardest to erase it from my memory. A knock at the door causes me to flick my eyes open. The door begins to open and I tilt my head to look at who it is.

"Can I join you?" William asks, walking in the door.

"No. Go away." I say, looking up at the ceiling again. He walks over anyway and lies beside me on the bed, before staring up at the ceiling. He smells of alcohol and I have to crinkle my nose.

"I think it's for the best." He says, assuredly and slightly drunkenly.

"Oh?" I ask, uninterested.

"Yeah- he wasn't a great guy. He's the kind to be unpredictable; it was only a matter of time before he hurt you like this." He moves his hand to rest on top of mine but I move it out of his reach. I feel his eyes on me but I refuse to look at him.

"Why do you care so much that he was with Emmeline?" He turns on his side and props himself up with his arm.

"We have history." I respond.

"Yeah, I heard about what happened at Neverland; he forced you to stay there. Lena, he's the bad guy."

"I'm no saint either, you know. I'm a 'heart-breaker' and I'm not trust-worthy." I raise an eyebrow, finally looking at him.

"You became that way because Neverland did that to you."

"And the same goes for Peter." I narrow my eyes at him.

"I can't believe you're defending him right now." He sits up fully, his words slightly slurred.

"Why are you here, William?" I ask, looking to the ceiling again.

"I'm here because I actually do care about you. I have ever since I met you."

"Well that's just too bad for you." I roll my eyes before sitting up and walking over to the vanity.

"You can try to hurt me all you like- I know you care about me too." He raises an eyebrow, also moving to his feet. I cross my arms and roll my eyes.

"You're naïve and misguided." I look away from him.

"No… I don't think I am." He steps toward me slowly with a dark look in his eyes. I narrow my eyes at him.

"I'm not in the mood for this, just go away." I move my hands to rest at my sides and he continues to walk up to me slowly.

"William. Enough." I warn him. Suddenly he takes a large step forward and pulls my body to his. His fingers are tight on my arms and he presses his lips firmly against mine. I lean back and attempt to push him off of me.

"William!" I murmur between his furious, determined kisses. I thrust my knee upwards and it connects with his body. His face crinkles in pain as he backs away from me and he falls back on the bed, clutching his lower regions.

"You heard her, Aetius. That's enough." Peter's voice comes from the doorway. I look over to him in surprise and Peter appears stern but collected. William looks at Peter angrily and then at me with a pleading expression.

"Lena…" He begins.

"Get out William." I say to him sternly. He moves off the bed and limps out of the room. Peter shuts the door behind him, leaving us two in solitude. I stare ahead of me, refusing to look at him, even though his eyes are on me.

"Are you alright?" He asks. I remain silent, giving him a small nod.

"Lena, I just want to explain what happened."

"There's nothing much to explain." I look up at him. "You were with Emmeline. You found her attractive so you slept with her. There- it's explained. You can go now." I cross the room to sit on the bed and stare out the large window. I hear him walk across and sit on the end of the bed, giving us some distance.

"When I had my magic I didn't have those regular human urges that men my age get. I had only ever felt lust when I met you and now, obviously, I see that I went about it the wrong way. As much as I tried to stop it I still felt attraction to the other Veela, like all men would. It's not as if we can control it- it's just biology. I didn't plan for anything to happen with Emmeline… it just did." He pauses, expecting a response from me. When I remain silent he continues.

"Obviously I'm sorry it happened- but, Lena, I'm only human. I hear we're supposed to make mistakes…" He stops again; I almost feel the look of regret in his eyes as he stares at me.

"Of anyone in this house, it had to be her?" I ask, still facing away from him.

"Lena…" I feel his hand move over mine.

"You know I've only cared for one woman my entire life… I love _you_." My heart skips a beat when I hear him say it. I feel a heat rising in my chest and in my panic I snatch my hand away from him and move to my feet. I squeeze my eyes shut and clutch my chest. Dammit, this just can't be happening right now. Suddenly I feel Pan's arms wrap around me, he presses his lips to my neck.

"Pan- don't. You don't-" He cuts me off in my panic.

"I know what's happening." He says in my ear. He holds me and I close my eyes, trying to feel calm in his embrace.

"Remember when I would play the flute for the boys?" He whispers in my ear. I nod slowly, remembering when I danced around the fire in a state of elation and composure. My breathing is still deep.

"I have an idea. Stay here." He removes his arms for me and I instantly feel exposed. A pain begins to rise in my back. No, no, no. I clench my knuckles and slowly an upbeat tune fills the room. I turn around to look at Peter. He stands by an old music player and the corners of his mouth turn up when the lyrics begins. Build me up Buttercup by the Foundations begins to play and I can't help but give him a pained laugh.

"Are you kidding?" I ask him, still clutching my chest. He walks to me with a smile and moves one of my hands to his chest, over his heart, and then moves the same hand to hold my side. We join our other hands together and begin to sway. I close my eyes and focus on the beat of the music and the calmness of his heartbeat. We pick up the pace and he moves his hand from my waist to wrap around my hips; he picks me up and we swirl on the spot. This version of the song is slower than the original.

"Why do you build me up?" The singer asks. "Just to let me down- and mess me around?" I feel the need to roll my eyes. The pain in my back decreases as Peter runs his hand along it.

"Did you choose this on purpose?" I whisper in his ear as the song continues.

"And then worst of all… you never call, baby, when you say you will. But I love you still!" The music continues; Peter simply chuckles at this line. We continue to dance until the song ends. The heat in my chest is gone and we continue to stand in an embrace.

"Do you love me?" He whispers in my ear.

"I do." I murmur against his neck.

"Marry me?" He asks.

"No." I say, taking a step back to look at him. He furrows his eyebrows as he looks down at me, expecting me to elaborate. I lean forward and kiss him softly; he responds by kissing me back firmly.

"Marry me?" He asks again between kisses.

"No." I respond. He lifts me off my feet and walks with me to the bed. We hold each other close and I enjoy lying in his arms as we kiss.

"Marry me." He requests again, kissing along my neck.

"No." I close my eyes enjoying his kisses. We're interrupted with a knock at the door. We both look over in the direction of the knock and a sweet female voice rings out.

"The Matriarch wants to see you, Lena." The girl calls. I hear her footsteps as she hurries away. I sigh as I look back to Peter.

"Why are we still here?" He groans against my neck.

"Because these people are my family." I reply, pushing him off of me. He rolls onto his back and I slide off the side of the bed. He reaches out his hand and grabs mine.

"Hurry back." He says, looking up at me.

"Alright." I pull away from him and fix my appearance in the mirror. As I open the door he calls out to me.

"Marry me?" He asks again.

"No!" I call back, shutting the door behind me. When I reach the main hall I see Emmeline sitting next to Cassiopeia up at the throne. I approach them and nod to Cassiopeia with respect. Emmeline narrows her eyes at me with a wicked smile. I can see she enjoys having me bow at her feet while she sits in a place of power. Her victory is short-lived, though, as the matriarch gives her next request.

"Lena, come join us." She pats the seat on her other side and Emmeline's smile moves to a scowl. I take a seat on her right.

"Let's discuss some business, hmm?" Emmeline and I nod to her.

"Both of you are currently my top choices to succeed me."

"Since when was she considered?" Emmeline jabs a finger in my direction.

"Emmeline, hush." She says with seriousness. "As I was saying, the decision is down between the two of you. And I need both of you to prove your worthiness to me and the elders."

"What do you need us to do?" I ask.

"The high court has dealings with several human companies in order to keep an inflow of money. Human currency used to hold little value to us in more traditional times but with the advancements of the modern day you can't do much without money. There are two high-profit organisations that we would like to do into business with. The problem is that there are many other, more beneficial, companies that have the same idea."

"Alright…" Emmeline raises an eyebrow.

"So I'm going to send you each to one and the first of you that can secure the most profit from the company will earn the high court's appreciation."

"Why do we need the high court's favour?" I ask, confused

"Because the person I pick to be my heir is only one vote in the process. You need to be accepted by the elders." Cassiopeia replies. Emmeline gives me a look as if to say, 'I already knew that.' I roll my eyes at her.

"And what kind of business does the high court deal in? Why would these businesses want to work with us?"

"_Invest_ in us." She corrects me, adding, "And we have various practises, mostly dealing in precious stones and antiques. But that's not important- as soon as the human men get a look at you two they'll be smitten and do anything you like."

"So we'll use our charm. Easy." I shrug to her.

"There's a catch." She adds. "Unfortunately there are many other magical beings in the world and many of them have interest in money and power. Some of them can also resist the charm."

"Alright…" I nod.

"We believe the men who make the final decision aren't human. That's why you two need your charismatic charm to secure the deal." Cassiopeia nods to a small table at my side.

"The information for your trips is in those folders." I pick up the folders and hand the one labelled 'Emmeline' to its intended before flicking through mine. I come across some airplane tickets.

"Saudi Arabia?" Emmeline asks, widening her eyes.

"That one's a member of the royal family." Cassiopeia nods to her.

"Beijing?" I ask.

"Son of the soon to be ex-CEO, he's next in line for the job." Emmeline and I both glance at each other, our glares full of challenge.

"When do we leave?" Emmeline asks her mother.

"The sooner the better." Cassiopeia nods to us. My mind instantly goes to Peter; what am I going to do now?


	18. Chapter 18: A Letter

I reach just in front of my bedroom door in the corridor when I hear footsteps hurrying to catch up to me. I turn around and am greeted once again with Emmeline's snarky face.

"What now?" I stop walking, folding my arms to face her.

"I'm just wondering if you have seen Pan around. We didn't get to finish our chat last time…" She narrows her eyes and curves her lips deviously as she says it. I have to fight the urge to slap her right now.

"How about we check if Peter still wants to talk to you then?" I suggest, opening my bedroom door. Peter is already walking towards us, having heard the murmuring from the other side of the door, I assume. He raises his eyebrows at Emmeline when his eyes fall on her and he quickly glances to me.

"Emmeline wants you to finish your chat with her." I say to him, keeping my eyes on Emmeline. She narrows her eyes at the sight of Peter next to my bed but remains silent.

"I think we're done with that mistake." He says, raising an eyebrow at Emmeline.

"I'm sure Aetius is free. Go find him." I smirk at her.

"Bitch." She takes a step towards me with a dark look in her eyes. I match her expression and join her in taking a step. Suddenly black cotton covered torso is right in front of my face. Peter has stepped between us and he's moved his arms around me.

"Goodbye Emmeline." He says, picking me up and pulling me into the room. He thrusts me up and I can't help but let out a delighted squeal. I see Emmeline's infuriated expression over his shoulder just before Pan kicks the door shut behind us. He lowers me to the ground slowly and keeps his eyes on mine. My mind goes to the meeting I just had with Cassiopeia and an uneasiness creeps up my spine. I move my eyes to the ground guiltily. I don't know how I can break it to him that I want to take this opportunity. I feel his fingers move under my chin gently and tilt my head upwards to face him.

"What's going on in that fascinating mind of yours?" His voice is in that quiet sexy whisper he does and I have to move my eyes to the ground again.

"Hey." He ducks his head to look at me and I sigh.

"If you could have anything in the world what would you want?" I ask, looking at him.

"You." He responds without hesitation. I sigh again, pressing my cheek to rest against his chest.

"You can stop saying things like that. I forgive you for that thing." I wrap my arms around his torso and he runs his fingers along my back. His fingers move very lightly over the ridges of my wing scars.

"That's good but I'm not saying it so you'll forgive me- it's just how I feel." He murmurs to me, his chin rests on my head. I never realised how tall he grew after Neverland, he's probably a foot taller than me now.

"I have to leave." I say it in a small voice. He leans back from me so he can see my face.

"Good. We can go anywhere you want- how about Neverland?" His eyes seem to have lit up.

"No, I mean-" I'm cut off in my thought. "Wait, Neverland? You want to go back there?" I raise an eyebrow.

"It would be nice to not grow old and grey and make you watch me die while you remain beautiful." He walks over to sit on the bed and I join him. He wraps his arm around me as we talk.

"You'll always be perfect to me, even when you're wrinkled." I shake my head, saying it seriously. He remains silent for a moment and I look up at him. He seems lost in thought.

"You want your powers back, don't you?" I tilt my head.

"I don't want to be an old weak man when you fall out of love with me. A lifetime won't be enough with you." I go back to thinking of Deidre and her advice and my chest begins to tighten. I place my hand on his cheek and tilt his face to look at me.

"Stop talking about our end when we've only just begun." I keep my eyes fixed on his as I say it. He moves his lips to mine and kisses me slowly and lovingly but even though I'm enjoying this moment I can't ignore the feeling that this won't last. I need to prove myself to Cassiopeia so I can become the matriarch, which might be just what I'm suited for. I mean, it _is _in my blood. But what I need to do means that I need to leave Peter once again and if I get what I want it might mean forever this time. I'm interrupted in my thoughts and my moment with Peter by a bright light streaming in through the window. The sun is just passing bellow the horizon in the distance and it's creating a brilliant pink and orange colour in the sky. Peter and I have stopped kissing to observe it. While he's watching the sky I take a moment to look at him, to observe his handsome features. I think I know what I need to do now, it'll come with a silver lining but it's going to be painful for both of us. He notices me looking at him and smiles at me; he leans in to kiss me again but I stop him, moving my lips to his cheek.

"I have to go speak to someone, I'll be quick." I lean back from him and he looks confused. "Don't leave, okay?" I move my feet to the floor and hurry out the door before he can stop me or protest. I enter the main hall and notice Cassiopeia has left her throne. I hurry along to her chambers and knock on the door impatiently.

"Aunt?" I need to speak with you." I call to the door. She opens it with wide eyes but settles when she sees me.

"Oh Lena- good, I needed to speak with you." She opens the door for me to come in and I do, though I reject her offer to take a seat.

"Uh, okay. You can go first, I suppose." I begin to get slightly on edge when she takes her time to take a seat in a comfy looking sofa.

"When you go to China, Aetius will be accompanying you." She says finally, as she sits. My impatience is replaced with confusion.

"Wait, what? Why?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"For protection… and to make sure everything is going smoothly. He was going to accompany Emmeline but she requested someone else."

"Well then I request someone else too." I cross my arms.

"He has to go with one of you two, dear, don't be childish over a silly little feud." She warns. I roll my eyes and sigh.

"Alright, whatever, is that all?"

"Have you made you plans for when you leave?"

"Yes, I've got a plan in place."

"Okay and what are you going to do about the one that follows you around like a puppy?"

"Umm. Do you mean Peter?" I tilt my head.

"Yes, him."

"Well that's what I wanted to talk to you about… I need a favour."

After returning to my bedroom Peter and spent the night dancing and laughing and talking and I tried to forget about what would happen the next morning. The night ended with Peter and I finally sharing an intimate moment in bed together and holding each other close until our eyes refused to stay open much longer.

A small tap on my nose causes me to jolt my eyes awake. Primrose is stood near me and she's got her forefinger pressed to her lips in a shushing motion. I rub my wide eyes and as I move to sit up I feel Peter's hand fall from my waist to the mattress below us. My cheeks instantly go red as I realise Primrose has seen Peter and I in our unseemliness and attire, or lack thereof in this case. Our bodies are covered by a blanket but Primrose doesn't seem to care either way. I look over at her again and she seems quite amused. She hands me a pile of clothes as well as a large yellow envelope. At first it takes me a moment to realise what this package holds but as soon as I do my mood goes south. I look over at the girl again and she hands me a small vial with a brush attached to its lid. I raise an eyebrow to her and she nods in Peter's direction; his anti-charm tattoo has been painted over in this substance and it appears dull and weak. As Cassiopeia has assured me, this means he's vulnerable to the charm. I try to give her a smile but I can tell it's half-hearted. She nods to me once more before sneaking out of the room quietly. I try to slide out of bed without stirring Peter but it doesn't seem to work. He moans and blinks his eyes open to look up at me.

"Good morning." His morning voice is deep and slightly croaky. He gives me a smile of complete contentment. I sink back into the bed beside him and push the things I'm holding to the floor.

"Peter…" I move my hands on either side of his face and stare deeply into his eyes. He seems bewildered at first as to what I'm doing but before he realises I'm able to capture him in my charm. My vision goes tunnelled and Peter's pupils dilate.

"You're going to go back to sleep, alright?" My voice seems to echo in my own ears. He nods to me slowly and I feel my eyes tear up. "Don't wake up until you're completely rested." His eyes begin to droop.

"I love you" I whisper, before giving him a soft kiss on the lips. He sinks back into the pillow in sleep and I wipe my eyes, trying to keep myself from sobbing. I bring the sheet up to wipe away the magical substance from his tattoo and a red glow is emitted from it. I quickly get dressed in the jeans and t-shirt Primrose has given me and fix my make up in the mirror. I place the thick envelope on the pillow next to Peter's head and look out the window; it's dawn. I pick up a watch from the vanity and secure it to my wrist. I grab my notepad from my desk and begin to write on it.

"Dear Peter,

I'm sorry I have to leave you again but we both need to figure out our own lives before we share them together. This might take a while but a love like ours is strong and patient. If the waiting is too much for you to bear then it's okay for you to find love with someone else, I won't keep you from happiness. Just remember that I love you completely and irrefutably and I could never feel the same way about anyone as I do for you. Please don't come after me, if you're with me I won't be able to achieve what I want. I hope this package will point you in the right direction for what you want as well.

Forever yours, Lena." I take a deep breath and place the note on top of the envelope which has already been labelled, 'Storybrooke'. I move forward and kiss his forehead gently.

"Good bye." I whisper.


	19. The Epilogue

I take my seat on the plane and sigh with relief.

"God this has taken forever, why were there so many delays?" I ask, looking over to William.

"I don't know, I tried asking the stewardess but she couldn't give me a straight answer. Also she was a little preoccupied at the time…" He looks up at a pretty blonde stewardess who walks by us and smiles brightly at William. He winks at her and gives her a pat on the behind as she walks past us.

"You've got to be kidding me." I say dryly, rolling my eyes.

"You had your chance, babe. You chose to pass." He leans over the aisle seat watching her walk away. An announcement comes over the intercom and the pilot apologises for the delay and assures us that we'll be leaving as soon as all the passengers have taken their seats.

"Did you call the people in Beijing and let them know we'll be late?" I ask, reaching for a magazine to read.

"Yep, all sorted. Aren't you glad I'm here?" He winks at me and I narrow my eyes at him, looking back at my magazine.

"You know they say what happens in Beijing stays in Beijing…" He places his hand on my leg and gives me a sly smile.

"I'm sure that's not the expression…" I begin to roll up my magazine to hit him with it but am interrupted when someone drops their bag on the aisle seat and it lands on William's other arm. William lets out a small yelp of pain and the person speaks.

"Sorry about that, I think you're in my seat." His voice is very familiar. I move my eyes from the bag to the man's face and widen them at the sight of Felix standing in the aisle. He's looking down at William with a look that could kill.

"Felix, what are you doing here?" I ask him.

"Peter sent me. He told me to tell you…" He brings a note out of his back pocket and reads it to me.

"Lena, if you think I'm going to let you go just like that then you mustn't realise how much I care about you. I understand that you need to do this but I'm not sending you alone, good luck. Forever yours, Peter." Felix folds the note, hands it over to me and pushes his bag into the luggage compartment above us.

"You're in my seat." He reminds William. William grumbles and moves so the two can rearrange where they sit. Felix settles in the seat next to me and gives me a smile.

"Ready for another adventure?" He asks.

"Laura's not coming with us?" I raise an eyebrow.

"She said she couldn't marry someone whose heart was already taken." He says is seriously, while looking ahead of him.

"… Wait, what?" I widen my eyes at Felix and the plane whirrs to action. The intercom beeps and the pilot greets us again. He thanks us for flying with this airline and begins to talk about the weather. Felix looks over at me again and there's something in his eyes that I haven't seen since we were at that waterfall in Neverland. I'm so caught up in this realisation that I only catch the last part of what the pilot is saying,

"Prepare for a bumpy ride ahead of us."

* * *

><p>Authors Note: Once again, thank you to my readers for showing interest in this series and leaving your wonderful reviews. I am planning on continuing this series at this point and I think these characters have plenty of excitement and drama ahead of them. Stay tuned for book three!<p> 


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